Aftermath
by poxelda
Summary: The team has to work to put Mac back together after he is captured by terrorists. Major whump fest. Warning for descriptions of torture/violence/ language. This one's gonna be intense and 100% focused on our favorite family.
1. Chapter 1

"Ok, Ri…?" Jack asked softly as he wiped his bloody knife on the shirt of the fallen guard.

"Mac should be in the third door from the left. I don't see any other guards."

"Roger." Jack forced himself to keep moving slow and steady. He wanted to run to the rusted steel door, tear it off its hinges, and take his brother home, finally. He paused breathing through his mouth. He heard a slight buzz. He followed it to a camera. Jack relaxed and crossed to the door. He pulled out a small shaped charge and molded it around the lock. He ducked back and plugged his ears with his fingers. The small pop sounded like a nuclear bomb going off. He knew it wouldn't take long before things got busy. Jack wrinkled his nose against the wave of fetid stink as he stepped into the hole. Hole was right. The walls, ceiling and floor were all cold stones. No windows, no lights. Jack put a hand over his mouth. God, and Mac had been kept here a whole month? Jack felt himself sink into a cold, calm killing rage. He could hear distant thumps of feet heading his way.

"Jack-" Jack ignored Riley pulling out his maglite and clicking it on. His hand shook. He wanted-no needed Mac to be here, but in this hell...he blinked tears back and scanned the tiny cell. He froze at a figure in the back corner of the hole. At first he thought it was a dirty pile of raggedy blankets, but then familiar blue eyes squinted up at him.

"MAC!" Jack yelled his voice booming in the tiny stone room. Mac whimpered and curled into a ball shying away from his partner. Jack took a steadying breath as he eased closer, "Sorry, brother, I am just so so so glad to see you. We've been going crazy looking for you." Jack turned his head a way swallowing to keep from puking. Mac wore rags and laid in his own filth. His hair was a long matted mess, his face covered by a ragged beard with dried globs in it. His nails were long and dirty. Jack forced his rage back as he gently crouched beside Mac.

"Hey, it's me." Mac slowly looked up. His eyes were dull and bloodshot. His lips dried and cracked. The right side of his face was misshapen by bruises and probably a broken bone or two. Mac reached out a painfully thin claw. Jack gently took it. Mac stared at Jack's hand and his fingers moved across it. It occured to Jack Mac might not be able to see. Jack lifted his partner's hand to his face. Mac ran his fingers across Jack's face. Mac let out a soft whimper and reached out. Jack gently moved forward and wrapped his brother in the biggest hug he'd ever been happy to give.

He could feel Mac's ribs and the knuckles of his spine. He felt open sores and heat poured off the kid. Jack grimaced feeling swollen bug bites. Fleas and lice. Jesus.

"-Jack?" Jack ducked back. He'd forgotten about their situation.

"Yeah, Ri. I found him."

"How is he?" Matty asked. Jack closed his eyes.

"Not good. Boze, we ready?"

"I'm heading in now."

"He ain't the only one, Jack you have to move NOW." Right. Jack pulled back, but held onto Mac enough to keep him steady.

"We gotta go, kiddo." Mac nodded and tried to stand. He fell back with a weak cry of pain. Jack scooped him up with one hand. He moved Mac's arm up to drape across his shoulders. Mac rolled forward to his knees curling his arm close to his body. Busted shoulder. Shit.

"It's ok. We're gonna have to do this the old fashioned way, alright?" Mac shook his head. His lips moved, but he spoke too softly for Jack to hear. Jack didn't have to, he knew what the kid would be saying, "Quit that right there. We tore the world apart looking for you, we ain' losing you now." Mac looked up at him. Jack turned away unable to bear the pain there. He laid the maglite on the slimy floor aimed at the door.

"Ok, I'm gonna stall these dudes. Bozer's on his way and we got a surprise for them. It's going to get real loud, you may want to cover your ears." Jack thought Mac nodded. Jack stepped to the door and listened to the harsh echoes of Urdu. He didn't understand a word, but it didn't matter. He was fluent in a more universal language. Jack smiled pulling his M5 into play.

"Let's dance." He whispered. He ducked around the corner and let loose a long burst. He ducked back as the stone was pockmarked by bullets. Jack turned away from the sparks and stone chips. The terrorists sprayed their weapons empty at the same time. Amateurs. Jack bent around and let loose his own spray and pray. His aim was better than theirs. He used the small dark tunnel to his advantage. After the loud roar of rifle fire, the silence was palpable against his ears. He snatched up the maglite and angled it down the tunnel. They were all down and out. Good. A down payment on the shit storm coming for what they did to Mac.

"Ok, Ma-shit." Mac had curled into a terrified ball and was rocking his hands pressed against his head. Jack crouched down and put out a hand. Mac whimpered and scurried back. He turned away trying to hide in the black shadows.

"Jack, don't shoot!" Bozer called softly.

"Come ahead, Boze." Bozer dashed into the doorway. His hand covered his mouth and he ducked out of the hole puking. Jack gritted his teeth.

"Jack, they're regrouping." Riley said. Jack didn't answer focusing on Mac.

"Mac, hey brother. It's me, Jack." Mac turned and peered at him through the dirty mop of hair. Jack realized Mac's hold on the world was far more tenuous than he'd thought. Jack let out a long breath and slung his M5 over his shoulder. Mac seemed to relax a notch. It dawned on Jack that to Mac he was just a shadow out of focus. Mac had only seen a military silhouette firing a gun. Ok, he could work with that. Jack aimed the maglite at his own face careful to aim it so he wasn't a frightening face coming out of the dark. Mac squinted and slowly crawled closer. Jack didn't move. He forced himself to not flinch at the wave of stink coming from Mac. Mac leaned in close and studied Jack carefully. Up close Jack could see the layers of bruises, cuts and bumps hidden under the grime. Jack ground his teeth together and hoped his inner turmoil didn't show. He didn't want to do anything to scare Mac. Mac's eyes lost some of his fear. Mac's shoulders slumped and he looked away. Jack frowned.

"We ready to go?" Bozer said softly from the door. Mac jumped, his breath hitching. Jack counted it a win when the kid moved closer to him.

"Yeah, let's get out of here." Jack reached out and as gently as he could wrapped his arm around Mac helping him stand. Mac flinched. Jack didn't know if it was being touched or pain. Mac swayed and his knees folded. Jack grabbed him in midair and swung him up in his arms. Mac's body stiffened and his breathing sped up, but he didn't fight to get free. Jack snugged the too-thin man closer and nodded at Bozer. Bozer took the maglite from Jack's hand and led the way out of the compound. Riley guided them past most of the guard units closing in around them.

"They're all around you!" Riley called over the comms.

"Not for long." Bozer said, his teeth and eyes bright in the light. Jack nodded. Bozer raised a control panel and cranked a series of switches. With each twist a bomb exploded in the compound. The last one was deafening. The men were knocked to the ground and stones fell from the ceiling.

"Bozer! That was danger close!" Jack yelled over the ringing in his ears. If Bozer answered, Jack didn't notice. He was distracted by Mac squirming to get away with blind panic. His heart pounded like a frightened bird under Jack's hands, his breathing was rapid wheezing gasps and his whole body shook.

"Aw, kid. C'mere." Jack moved slowly and wrapped Mac in a gentle hug. Mac was stiff for a long minute before he curled around Jack burying his face in the older man's shoulder, "It's ok, brother. We gotcha don't we Boze."

"Absolutely." Bozer said tears leaking out the corners of his eyes.

"Guys, you gotta move." Matty said. Everyone heard the catch in her voice. Jack nodded, forgetting Matty and Riley were miles away.

"Ok let's get the fuck outta here." Jack said. He lifted Mac up, allowing the kid to keep his clinging grip around him. Bozer led the way toward the entrance. They moved fast. Mac's breath puffed against Jack's neck even as his grip loosened. Jack's heart lurched when Mac let go and fell limp in his arms.

"C'mon, Riley-"

"I'm here." Riley gritted and sure enough she was. The panel van skidded to a stop. Bozer opened the sliding door and helped Jack load Mac in. As soon as Mac was laid out, Jack turned raising his M5 keeping the terrorists at bay as the van lurched away. Jack slammed the door shut and ducked as bullets punched holes through the thin metal.

"Matty, where's our cover?" Matty didn't have to answer. A military droid whirled in closer loosing a missile before flying away. The van shook and tilted as the terrorist camp was vaporized. Jack leaned back taking a second to breath and share a grin with Bozer. His grin faded as he saw the full extent of Mac's damage. He gently ran the back of his fingers along Mac's cheek wincing at the bumps he felt under his soft touch.

"Oh God." Riley said glancing over her shoulder. Her attention was pulled back to the road as the van skidded to the side.

"Jack…" Boze said his voice soft with horror.

"Yeah, Boze. I know. This ain't gonna be good."


	2. Chapter 2

Light blistered his eyes. Mac tried to push away. He bounced off of something soft and fell. Voices surrounded him, loud, fuzzy. He didn't know what language. Mac scurried back. Hands on his arm. Twisting, snapping bones...Mac shook himself free. He thought he had gotten out! It was a lie, another lie!

" _Khush karna! Rokna!"_ Stop, please. No more. No more, please. Mac's chest hurt as he fought for air. They were taking him again...Hands gripped his shoulders, someone leaned closer and shouted at him. Stop, stop, stop, please, " _Kush karna, rokna!"_ Mac begged. His chest hurt. He backed away. His heart tried to break through his chest. He couldn't breathe, they were going to kill him this time...Mac backed away. He shook wildly. Everything screamed, everything burned, everything hurt-Protect yourself. The boots would be first. He ducked low and wrapped his head in his arms. He fought to wheeze in air. Maybe they'll go away...maybe they're tired...please, please, please...Mac's chest was too tight, he couldn't breathe he couldn't...God he was going to die…

Mac screamed again and broke off into a wail of despair. He could feel the noose the tightening he coughed and gagged trying to get free. He tried to suck in air then bent forward dry heaving. Mac slammed into a wall. It vibrated, noise, painful against his head. Rattled through his body. Mac curled into a ball. No, no, no...More loud voices, a language-Mac puked thready gruel as he tried to scuttle away.

Jack jumped back and glanced up at Riley and Bozer. The plane was getting ready for take off.

"Dammit." He growled. He'd hoped they'd get in the air before Mac woke up, but obviously no one cleared it with the kid. The engines flared louder. Mac curled into a ball and rocked back and forth screaming the same thing over and over.

"What's he saying?" Bozer asked.

"Stop, no more, please." Riley's voice broke as she read the translation on her rig. She shot Jack a worried look, "Urdu." Jack rubbed his head.

"Ok, you two go belt in. Once we're in the air tell the pilot to lower the lights. I'll drop the shades back here. Boze, get everything we're gonna need to get Mac cleaned up." The others nodded.

Jack knelt in front of Mac and studied his partner. Mac backed into a corner then curled into a smaller ball. Ducking and covering waiting for another beating. Jack wiped his face and stared at the ceiling pulling back the hot emotions, forcing his body to relax. He slowly crept closer. Mac froze and stared at Jack through one bloodshot eye round with terror. Jack sat with his back against the skin of the plain and raised his knees, leaning his forearms over them. Mac was shaking. Jack thought he might puke again. His eyes never wavered from Jack. Jack nodded and stared at his fingernails.

"Well, I could always sing." The engine revved louder and the airplane rattled as it galloped down the runway. Mac pressed into the corner between a seat and the cabin wall tighter. Jack didn't know if it was on purpose or if he'd been thrown back by the g's of take off. Jack smiled.

"Or I could tell you a story-"

"Story!" Bozer called.

"I vote story too." Riley said. Jack shot them a glare.

"You are all mad because you didn't win the tri-territory karaoke championship three years in a row!" Jack snarked back. He turned to look at Mac and shook his head.

"They have no respect for talent, man," Jack leaned forward and slowly put a hand on Mac's shoulder. Mac flinched and turned away bracing for pain. Jack let his hand rest. He didn't like the heat or shakes he felt under his palm.

"Tell you what, Mac. Why don't you tell us what you want? Ok?" Jack gentled his voice more than he ever had before. He met Mac's eyes and silently sent him every shred of love and peace he ever wished for his boy through his gaze and touch. Mac turned away mumbling urdu under his breath. Jack began to rub Mac's shoulder with a light touch.

"It's ok, brother...I gotcha, I promise...I promise…Shhh...easy, brother…" Jack kept repeating it over and over in the same tone. Slowly Mac pulled out of his tight knot and peered at Jack. His eyes flooded. Jack nodded but didn't stop the soothing rhythm.

Mac jumped when the lights dimmed. Jack could feel his body tighten and the kid scanned for an escape path. Jack continued without pause. Mac moaned and slowly eased back. Jack held out his other hand. Mac stared at it for a long time, his face darting between Jack's face and hand. Mac's shaky claws touched Jack's hand again running his fingers over it. Mac looked down.

"Jack?" Mac's voice was phlegmy and warped as if Mac had to fight to get it out. Jack scooted closer pausing when Mac looked at him warily. Jack gently took Mac's filthy hand in both of his own. Mac closed his eyes shaking. Jack winced taking in the swollen areas around Mac's knuckles. Broken fingers. Jack gritted his teeth and swallowed the anger down. He held Mac's hand in one palm and brushed the palm with his fingers.

Mac pulled back startled. Jack didn't let go. Mac slowly relaxed and looked into Jack's face. Jack couldn't stop the stream of tears when he saw the bump in Mac's nose. Mac looked down.

"Jack?" Mac whispered. Jack smiled and nodded.

"Yeah, brother, it's me." Mac closed his eyes. He shook his head and his lips moved. Jack leaned closer but couldn't hear what the kid was saying-if he was saying anything. Jack could see tears trickle through the layers of dirt at the corner of Mac's eyes. Jack shifted his weight. Mac's hand clamped on his and Mac met Jack's eyes wide with panic. Jack relaxed back down.

"It's ok, brother. I'm here. I ain' going nowhere." Mac's bottom lip quivered and he looked away. Jack moved an arm to Mac's shoulder. He remembered the pain Mac had there and aimed for his forearm instead. He slowly rubbed with his thumb.

"You still with me, Mac?" Mac squeezed Jack's hand he still held. Jack frowned. Mac studied it intently.

"Jack?" Mac's voice was tighter, barely audible.

"Talk to me kiddo, whatcha thinkin?" Mac mouthed something so faint Jack couldn't make it out. He leaned forward.

"What was that?"

"You real?" It was like a kick to his heart. Jack looked up and met those brilliant baby blues, so lost and hurting-

"Aw kid, c'mere." Before Mac could move, Jack wrapped him in an all encompassing hug. Mac froze for a long second. Jack could feel Mac's heart kick his chest and his breathing puffed against his ear. Jack pulled Mac closer and cupped the back of his head as he rocked him. Mac wriggled fighting for a bit, then he returned the embrace. Jack let out a deep breath as he felt Mac crumble in his arms. Mac trembled. Jack didn't know if it was with emotion, fever or tears. Jack gently rubbed Mac's back. Finally, finally Mac was home. Or mostly. Jack's nose wrinkled when he got a whiff of the pair of them.

"How about we get cleaned up?" Jack asked feeling his skin crawl. Mac flinched and nodded not meeting Jack's eyes. Jack's heart wilted more. The kid was embarrassed about his condition? "C'mon, brother. Boze has everything ready." Mac nodded. Jack hauled him to his feet then held him up until he lost the ash whiteness and his legs agreed to hold Mac up. Mac shuffled to the back of the plane. He glanced around him, but focused mostly on putting one foot in front of the other. Jack walked behind him supporting most of the kids weight.

Mac felt like he was trying to walk through deep water. He rubbed his face. Everything was hazy, foggy...He twitched with any movement in the plane. He was painfully aware of the drone that rattled through his head, the dim murmur of Riley on the phone. He closed his eyes and wobbled. Jack steadied him. Mac softly hissed at the red blaze of pain in his ribcage. He was so tired...

Mac froze at the door and shield back. The light in the bathroom was a gentle golden glow, but brighter than Mac had to deal with yet. Everything had a weird yellow shadow as if it was melting or smearing. Mac's heart pounded. He closed his eyes. Coughing, gagging, unable to breath...The walls were close, the air heavy with steam. It smelled of soap-not the floral soaps Bozer liked by the industrial attempt of fruit. Lice-killing soap. There was a special word for that anti- Mac rubbed his face. He couldn't think, he couldn't...Mac stared at his dirty feet. He wasn't there. He wasn't trapped. He repeated it over and over.

Solid. Focus what was real. When Matty had purchased the jet the team had demanded (if demanded meant begged more than a starving dog) a full sized bathroom with a larger than normal tub/ shower. Realizing how much it would save in time and money to have cleaning facilities to get rid of quicksand, drying cement, dirt, glue, blood, taffy (Jack didn't know why she never believed his story about the Laffy Taffy killer!) and other weird things the boys ended up in, she agreed.

The large tub was full of water and suds. Mac stared at the mountain of glistening suds hypnotized. Everything seemed to drift into a fog. He welcomed it. His head, the last refuge. It kept the pain away...for awhile.

"Hey, Mac." Boze said, "Nothing to worry about, I set it up like Mrs. Rutherfurd's house, you know after that Peacock thing?" Mac let loose a quick snort of laughter. Mac looked down. Had he just laughed? Why? Mac couldn't remember what Bozer had just said. Where was he? Jack and Bozer grinned at him. Mac dropped his eyes to the floor. They were happy to have him back. They didn't know. How could they...Mac bit his lip determined to not cry.

"You'll have to tell me that story."

"Oh Jack, you'll love it-"

"Later, Boze."

"Right. C'mon, Mac we gotcha." Mac stared at the suds barely aware of the others cutting off the shredded remains of his clothes. He felt himself float away again. This time he let go. Mac held onto their arms as he stepped into the tub with a lot less grace than he normally had. Jack caught his partner when he slid and dropped into the water. Jack spit out a large fluff of soap. Bozer laughed and dug Mac out of the soap. Jack glared at Bozer.

"A little too much soap." Jack growled. Bozer shook his head and scooped the foam down a layer.

"Sorry, man." He muttered. Jack bent over Mac to reassure the kid he was ok. Mac sat still face blank staring straight ahead.

"Damn." Jack whispered with a long sigh.

"What's wrong? Why's he like that?" Bozer whispered.

"He's climbed right up into that brain of his. It's how he got through all...everything."

"Mac?" Boze said gently shaking Mac's shoulder. Mac's gaze didn't move.

"It's ok, look let's get him cleaned up."

"Right." The pair worked with efficiency and gentleness. Sweat and soap ran down their faces as the steam from the bath filled the room. Jack carefully washed Mac's body, his heart lurching at the sheer number of barely healed scars, bruises and other wounds. The water turned black. Jack let it drain and poured in freshwater. He lifted Mac's foot and winced. The kid might have overgrown fingernails, but his toenails had been pulled out.

Mac jumped at a loud buzz around his ears. He sucked in a frightened gasp. He clutched his hands taking in the bath. Jack, Bozer...He winced as Bozer pulled his hair back and hacked it off with his clippers. Mac closed his eyes and forced himself to breath. He braced himself. He knew it wasn't good, but he'd been able to hide it. At least from them, it's always there, raw bleeding open-gagging, swinging, pain...

"Oh my god." Bozer said. Jack gently lowered Mac's foot. He looked at Bozer worried. Bozer had started buzzing off Mac's matted hair. He leaned back looking over worried.

"Bozer?" Boze looked like he was going to puke. He leaned back and showed Jack Mac's neck. A deep swollen red groove showed where a noose had gone around Mac's neck.

"They hung him." Jack said. He squeezed the cleaning cloth wishing it was someone's neck.

"I...I...Jack I can't…" Bozer moved to leave. Jack grabbed his arm and pulled him back.

"You can and you will. Mac needs all of us more than ever right now. No matter what we find under all this muck we're gonna have to help him get over, got it?" Bozer nodded.

"You're right, sorry." Jack nodded. He glanced over to Mac. Mac sat loose limbed staring down at his hands. Jack thought Mac's face might be covered by tears. Bozer swallowed and knelt back down to his friend.

"It's ok, Mac. We can do this, all of this, together, right?" Mac nodded once. His gaze slid into the distance again.

"Besides, wait 'til you see the sick haircut I'm giving you." Jack thought he saw Mac attempt a smile. They returned to their work chattering about any stupid thing that came to their head. Mac still stared into space, but occasionally he'd react to something they said. Jack and Boze took that as a win.

Mac's skin tingled as the others helped him into soft clean sweats. He glanced at himself in the mirror and turned away. He was too thin, misshapen, sickly and weak. Mac rubbed his jaw. It felt weird not having a wild beard. And trimmed fingernails. And…

Mac felt his legs give out.

"Whoa, easy brother." Mac felt Jack's strong grip catch him. Mac closed his eyes against the spinning and nausea. Everything was foggy. He only remembered snippets of the bath, but felt like he'd been in the tub for years. As dirty as he had been, maybe he had been. Mac grimaced as Jack half turned and lifted Mac into his arms. Mac closed his eyes leaning against his partner. Jack's heart was reassuring and familiar and something Mac never thought he'd hear again. Mac sniffed and ignored the tears that broke out of their pen and ran down his face. He heard Jack's voice echo through his head. English, not urdu. Jack not...them...Mac shook. He felt so damn cold. He looked up as Jack slowly let him go. Riley wrapped him in heated blankets. Mac nodded his thanks and tried a small smile. Riley gave him a gentle side hug.

"Here, brother sit down. I really don't want to pick you up from the floor again." Mac nodded. A cloud floated across his vision. His heart pounded. Was he sleeping? Was he going to wake up? What were they doing to him? Mac sat up his eyes prowling every angle around him. The others didn't seem to notice his lapse. He leaned back and tried to focus on Bozer. He was telling a story from back in the day. Mac had a hard time following Bozer's words.

Mac rubbed his forehead. His head hurt. Harsh Urdu snapped at him highlighted with whatever new agony they thought up had been his only contact with humanity for the last month...year? Mac shook his head frowning. If this was a dream he hoped he never woke up. Mac jumped. Riley stood over him. Where did she come from? Mac didn't like his world being so disjointed.

She crouched and held out a small bottle of water. Mac gasped, tore the water from her grip and tipped it. He dimly heard the others warn him. They didn't know...they...Mac stopped gasping for air. He closed his eyes as the chill of the water spread from his gut out to his arms and legs. He felt nausea nudge his gut but ignored it. He sank back. Riley held out a small pack of crackers. Mac closed his eyes. Focus on the texture, the taste...it's no...Mac slowly worked his way through four saltines. He stopped and shook his head. Mac yawned. He was so tired.

Familiar hands reached over and maneuvered him. Mac let Jack pull him onto his chest. Mac nestled in closer. Jack was warm, solid. Another warm blanket was put over him then Jack wrapped Mac closer to his side. Mac finally relaxed. Finally felt safe. Mac fell asleep to the gentle lullaby of Jack's heart.


	3. Chapter 3

"No, Matty! He needs to be somewhere familiar. He needs to come home…" Mac slowly opened his eyes. He stared at the ceiling a long minute. It was light, white, curved, everything hummed. Mac had no idea where he was or why it was so hot or why every was just...wrong.

"Fine...fine. I said fine!" Mac turned his head and took a long deep breath. Just doing that seemed to drain him. Why was he so tired, and hot. Mac wanted to reach up and wipe sweat off his face, but it would take too much energy.

"What was all that?" Riley asked. Mac's heart lurched and he jumped looking up. He laid sprawled on a couch his head on Riley's lap. Riley must have felt his jump, she absently reached out and ran her hand softly across his head. Mac frowned. He had no hair? What happened to his hair? Mac flexed his arm, but couldn't get his muscles to work together to lift it. He let out a frustrated breath and closed his eyes. He was so tired. Riley's soft touch was hypnotising as was the lilt of the conversation around him.

"Matty is sending us to some Island Phoenix bought."

"An island? Like an island island?" Bozer asked. Mac frowned. Why were they speaking English? Why was he surprised they were speaking English? He felt like there was something he should be remembering, but it was boiled out of his brain.

"I guess Matty got a bargain from the DEA who impounded it from a drug ring."

"They impounded an island?"

"Apparently. This is a bad idea, you remember that I told you right here and right now this is a bad idea." Mac frowned at the worry and frustration in his partner's voice. Why was Jack so upset? Mac thought he'd done something wrong, but couldn't remember what it was.

"She say why we're going to Fantasy Island?"

"No, she's up to something."

"I don't like it. Mac should be in a hospital." Mac frowned. Hospital? Him? Mac tried to open his eyes but it took too much effort. The plane banked. Mac's heart sped up and he moaned as his gut churned as the world decided it needed to spin in ten directions at once.

"Dammit." Jack called. He jumped to Mac's side and helped Riley sit him up and pivot him as he lost...mostly water. Bozer held a puke bag. Mac moaned. Pain tore through his head, shoulder, ribs. He felt pummeled. He spit. Jack wiped his face with a cool rag. Mac closed his eyes as they returned him to the couch. Mac looked up at Riley and Jack.

"Wh-" Mac licked his lips but couldn't make any spit.

"Here." Bozer said. Jack leaned forward and lifted Mac upright. Riley switched to side saddle and let Mac lean against her. Jack dabbed at Mac's face. Mac leaned back and let out a breath of relief. Riley took the rag from Jack and laid it across Mac's bare head. He hummed and smiled.

"How are you feeling, brother?" Mac frowned at the tone in his partner's voice.

" 'm 'k. Why do you keep asking?" Jack stilled and met Mac's feverish gaze.

"Do you know where we are?" Mac's eyes were heavier with each blink.

"Plane? Wh-" Mac tilted his head, "Why...hot?"

"You got a high fever brother." Mac frowned. He glanced at Boze.

"Your cold?" Boze looked at him confused. Boze shared a wide-eyed look with the others.

"The cold I had before you-"

"Got sick." Riley interrupted Bozer. Bozer nodded.

"Yeah, it's all better." Mac smiled and gave in to sleep.

"Good." Mac mumbled. He turned his head to the side and relaxed. It was easier than staying awake.

"He doesn't remember?"

"Probably his fever."

"Is this a good thing?"

"We'll have to wait and see, Boze."

Jack dabbed at Mac's sweaty face. Mac mumbled under his breath and grabbed the blanket in a white knuckled fist. Jack gritted his teeth. He knew Mac hadn't forgotten even a little bit of the month of hell he went through. Jack leaned forward and rubbed his forehead. He damn sure remembered every second. Mac mumbled and his head jerked to the left as if he'd been struck. Mac lifted a hand as if to loosen something around his neck. Jack took his hand and rubbed the thin layer of fuzz on Mac's head.

"It's ok, brother. You're safe, I swear it." Mac moaned and squeezed Jack's hands. He mumbled something under his breath. Jack supposed it was Urdu. Jack gently dabbed at Mac's cheek. Mac turned toward the cool cloth and stilled. Jack turned the kid's head and winced at the red swollen circle around Mac's neck. He vowed that if he ever saw the terrorist who did this he'd show him the meaning of hanging, and draw and quartering, and-

"Up to immolation yet?" Riley asked softly. Jack looked up at her startled.

"What?" Riley put a hand on his shoulder and handed him a can of soda. He leaned back and nodded.

"Immolation, burning them alive. I figure you've already hung them, gutted them, peeled off their skin…" Jack held up a hand.

"All right, I get your point." Riley laughed and knelt beside Mac. She took the rag from Jack and dipped it into the bowl of cool water. She dabbed at Mac's head. Her eyes narrowed.

"Me, I'd go with evisceration." Riley growled. Jack raised an eyebrow. Riley's tone of voice was downright frightening. Riley pulled hair back from her face.

"Boze ok?" Riley sighed.

"I think he's talking to Doc Carl or Matty about the island. Do you know anything about this island."

"I know it's a bad idea."

"You said that."

"I'm right. We have no idea how many smugglers know of this place or what kind of security there is, and Mac should be in a hospital." Riley nodded. Mac jerked and sucked in a breath. His eyes cracked and the tiny bit of blue that shone flitted back and forth like a trapped animal. Jack shared a worried look with Riley.

"So much for not remembering." Riley groused. Before Jack could answer that Mac sat up and let out a hoarse scream. Jack reached out and took Mac by the shoulders. Mac shook and heaved trying to take in more air. His eyes were wide and wild and not seeing anything inside the plane. He screamed and his body moved as if a cattle prod was working up and down his body.

"Oh my God! Mac?" Bozer's voice roared as he ran down the aisle toward them.

"Bozer, calm down." Riley said softly. Bozer blinked and shook his head. Obviously Mac hadn't been the only one sleeping. Mac blinked and made a gagging sound.

"Crap." Jack muttered as he held a puke bag in front of Mac's face. Mac whimpered as he curled forward. He had nothing left to puke. Riley curled up behind Mac and dabbed his face and head with the rag. Mac's eyes sank shut and he slumped back against Riley. Riley slid to the side until Mac rested on her lap. Jack gently tipped Mac so he was off his bad shoulder.

"Mac moaned."

"He's on fire." Riley said worried. Jack stood up and paced. He seriously wanted to punch something.

"How much longer? Dammit." Bozer rubbed his head and glanced at his watch.

"We should be going in for the final approach any minute." Jack nodded not at all mollified.

"I need some air." Jack growled. He shoved the soda at Bozer and stalked down the aisle to the front of the plane. He went into the galley and pounded both fists against the locked cupboards. He leaned forward then head butted the same cupboards. He heard the familiar whine as the plane began to cycle back for landing. It banked. Jack used the movement to look out the small window.

The island was larger than he thought. If he had to guess he'd say probably ten miles in diameter. Most of it was thick forest surrounding a tall cliff with a large compound of buildings on top of it. Jack swallowed. The landing strip didn't look that long. Jack decided that for once buckling in might not be the worst idea. He crossed to the back and sat across from Mac. Riley and Bozer sat him up and buckled him in, buckling themselves on either side of him.

Riley raised an eyebrow as Jack did up his own belt.

"Something we should know about?" Bozer asked nervously. Jack smiled innocently.

"No, why?" Riley and Bozer shared a panicked look.

"We are so dead."

The landing was rougher than they were used to, but not as bad as they had expected. Jack was out of his seat in a flash bending over Mac. Mac mumbled as he flopped forward onto Jack's shoulder.

"It's ok, brother. I got ya." Jack murmured as he set himself and lifted Mac into his arms. Mac's head flopped back and his arms flapped in the air. Mac moaned, his eyes blinking open then closing again. Jack lifted His knee and braced Mac against his leg. He adjusted Mac then lifted him again, this time his head leaned against his shoulder and his arms folded across his chest.

Bozer and Riley ducked out of the Delta's path then followed in his wake. Phoenix medical was on their way across the tarmac at a run. Jack ignored them and strode with purpose past them. Sally Weathers strode beside the man directing him to a large side building. Jack had no idea if anyone talked to him or not. He had one focus and one focus only. Get Mac to the Doc, now.


	4. Chapter 4

From the shape of the building, Jack could tell at one time it had been a horse barn, probably big enough for a dozen horses. Sometime in the past someone had converted to a church. The fine wood woods, piles of splintering pews and stained glass ceiling proved that. The lastest owners of the island had converted it to some sort of game room. Pool tables, arcade gangs and a bitching sound system were shoved to the side.

Phoenix had converted the front of the building, where a tall sad Jesus still hung on a crucifix taking up all of one wall overlooking a full portable operating room, into a modern medical facility. Jack leaned over a green cloth draped table. Mac moaned at the position change. Jack felt like he was setting his heart on a butcher's table.

"Jack, we got him." Izzy said gently pushing Jack back. Jack nodded but could only stare as the entire Phoenix medical team circled his kid. He felt dizzy as if he were going to pass out. He took a wobbly step back. He jumped when he ran into a chair. He jumped off balance. A hand grabbed his shoulder and pulled him back until his rump bounced in a wheelchair.

"What the-"

"Sit back and shut up, cutie." Jack looked over his shoulder with genuine fear. Laura. The older nurse whirled the chair around. Jack held on for dear life and bit his lip against the dizziness. It finally happened, he thought desperately. He shook his head trying to get his head on straight. He opened his mouth to call for help, but his gut churned. This crazy old bat was kidnapping him.

"Turn me around!" He shouted angry. He tried to put his feet down. Laura tilted the wheelchair up so he couldn't touch the ground.

"Quit it, you. You are going to shower, eat and sleep." Laura's husky croak snapped with authority. Jack moved to tip the wheelchair over. Laura nimbly whipped the chair around so Jack was forced back in the center of the chair.

"Turn this around." Jack's eyes narrowed and his voice was sharp with real danger. Laura slammed the wheelchair to a stop and whirled it around. Jack tumbled forward. Laura grabbed his shoulder and slammed him back. Her hawk nose was less than an inch away from his face.

"Or what? Listen up Mr. badass Delta boy, I have been taking care of soldiers before your daddy's sperm knew how to wiggle. I'm not afraid of you. You will shower, eat, drink and rest in that order if I have to sit on you and funnel drugs up your ass...by the gallon, got me?" Jack backed up more than a little afraid of the genuine rage pouring from the nurse. Her grey eyes were chiseled sharp knives.

"I am so sick of you boys going out to help others and coming back all broken and bleeding, I am tired of you hurting, and…" Laura's voice trailed off. Her bottom lip quivered. Jack swallowed.

"Laura...I'm...sorry." Jack whispered. Laura leaned back and turned away. She wiped at her face.

"I kno...Look, Jack, I get it I do. I see how you care about that boy. It's sweet." Jack blushed and turned away. He moved to stand up. Laura shoved him back into the chair, "I know how you feel about him, everyone does. But I will not let you kill yourself to save him, do you understand that?" Jack blinked as if that had never occurred to him before.

"But-"

"I know, you're his Papa Jack, I get that. I'm glad he has you, Jack, but protecting him is not all you are. You are as important as he is. What do you think he would feel knowing that taking care of him is killing you? Hmm?" Jack looked down. His ears burned. He didn't think anybody's scolded him this bad since he let Digger, the pig, eat his broccoli during Christmas and Nana Beth found out. At least Laura didn't have a strap-Jack blanched and casually checked to make sure the stern nurse didn't. Laura playfully slapped his face. He winced. Playful, like a lioness cuffing her cub. Jack went to apologize. Laura narrowed her eyes. He snapped his mouth shut. She smiled a smile that made him squirm.

"Before you eat, I'll check you over...and bind your wounds." Jack turned away his face tomato red. Laura laughed and returned to pushing Jack in the wheelchair. Jack leaned an elbow on the arm of the chair and held his forehead. A headache throbbed through his skull. Laura was right, of course, Jack had been going flat out the past month. He couldn't remember all of the TAC raids he made on nests of terrorists around the world and hours breaking suspects for the next target. He was physically exhausted and felt lightheaded. He couldn't remember the last time he ate. He rubbed his eyes.

"Mac…?" He asked softly. Laura patted his shoulder.

"You know our team is the best, Jack. No one cares about him more than we do." Jack felt a little reassured.

"Laura, the cave...it was more a hole, no not even a hole. It was…" Jack leaned forward rubbing his face at the burn of tears. Laura rubbed his neck between his shoulders.

"I heard. I can't imagine. The poor boy." Laura's voice was stiff and gruff. Jack smiled. Maybe there was a gooey center beneath the hard crust after all. Jack's face paled when they pulled up to a shower room. There were no curtains or areas for privacy. It had once been used to hose off animals.

"Ok, cutie, time for your shower." Laura smiled with a raised eyebrow.

"Ulp." Jack thought about staying in the wheelchair...Laura put on gloves and snapped them. She smiled and shut the door behind him.

"Ok, clothes off, handsome." Jack froze desperately looking for a way out, "Or should I lay you on the bed to check you over? Something wrong with your-"  
"I'm fine!" Jack yelped not liking the way Laura licked her lips, "Give me a minute, already." He growled.

"Take as long as you want, cutie."

"Oh hell."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Matty looked down at MacGyver and rubbed tears off her face. She watched the medical team work from an area over the surgical area. One that had once held the choir. It had probably held hay at some point. The room behind her was dirty and had piles of rusted pipes and tools. Pigeons cooed and flew in and out the open areas around the fan.

She had thought she knew how bad it would be. She'd gotten the report from Riley and Bozer. She'd heard the gory details from Jack...but she'd never...god what those animals... She sat down and covered her face fighting the need to burst into tears.

Mac was so pale, so small, so broken. Having his hair chopped off just highlighted how vulnerable he looked. And that swollen ring around his neck. Matty's eyes narrowed. She wished she could go back and blow up the terrorists all over again-slower, with much, much more pain.

"There you are. How did you get up here without breaking your knees." Izzy asked as she rubbed her back crossing to Matty. Izzy dropped into the simple wooden pew and rubbed her right shoulder. She glanced down at Mac and put her hand in her lap. She looked up at the crucifix and made the sign of the cross, bowed her head and murmured something under her breath.

Matty watched her curiously. As a general rule, she didn't pry into her agent's religious life. She knew the basics, of course. She had to in case she lost one and-Matty stopped and angrily brushed at her face. No Mac was not going to be one. She wouldn't let him. Izzy finished and leaned back. She rubbed her face. She stared at her feet. Her still presence was there as always, but her eyes were terribly sad.

"You ok?" Matty asked. Izzy itched her nose then stared at her fingernails. They had dirt and grease in the cuticles. She fought the urge to gnaw on them. Terrible habit she just hadn't figured out how to kick yet. She looked at Matty and smiled.

"Yes, I am worried for Mac." Matty nodded but didn't say anything. Izzy sighed and pulled at a loose coil of hair tucking it back into her ordered bun.

"So when are you going to tell us?" Matty's head snapped to the older woman.

"What are you talking about?" Izzy turned and cocked her head to the side. Her green-blue eyes seemed to contain all the soothing green places in the world.

"The real reason we're on this island?" Matty scowled and turned away. She stood up and crossed to the railing. Her gut roiled at the sight of Mac laying on his side a tube down his throat. Doc Carl worked on his shoulder. He'd had a fractured collar bone and dislocated shoulder. It had healed wrong so they'd had to re break it, clean out shards of bone then put it all together. A major surgery in the best of times. Matty felt Izzy stand beside her.

"You and I both know that MacGyver would have an easier recovery if he saw specialists at UCLA. You would not bring him here if there wasn't something serious chasing us." Matty shook her head.

"The DOJ want to put him on lock down for a thorough debrief." Izzy's nose flared.

"I see." Matty looked up a small smile on her face. The sour disappointment in Izzy's voice was equivalent to a screaming violent murderer in someone else. Izzy met Matty's gaze an eyebrow raised, "and?" Matty chewed her cheek, damn the woman. Matty glanced down at Mac then turned back the way she'd come up.

"Then all hell is going to break loose." She said softly as she turned and climbed down stairs steep enough to be considered a ladder.


	5. Chapter 5

At first, he'd been brave, defiant even. It had been easy. Broken finger, yells of pain sure but anger. Fear, but never helplessness. He knew he'd find a way out, there was always a way out. And Jack would come. Jack always came. Waterboarding hurt, his breathing took on a wheeze. Broken ribs. I've been through worse, he told himself. True, ok, maybe a little denial there. These unkempt terrorists had a crazy glint in their eyes, a real hatred for everything he represented. Blonde hair, blue eyes, his face-they took particular offense at his face. It had hurt so much when they broke it.

And Jack? Where was Jack? He'd gotten out to the courtyard twice. They shot him in the leg for his trouble. And knives. They did like their knives. Pain wasn't the worst. You would think pain would be the worst thing about torture wouldn't you? No, it was the fear. Total lack of control. They could do anything, and took animal delight in doing everything they could think of. The smell, the taste, the-

Fear becomes a constant thing. It makes the razors more sharp, the burns blister more...Then you lose that. It becomes part of you, like the pain you felt every time you took a breath, every time you took a step with ruined toes. Everything hurt, everything was scary, sure got it. You adapt. That was his thing. Adapt. And Jack was coming, soon.

Then he escaped a third time, past the courtyard to the motor pool. Mac remembered meeting the eyes of a frightened child. He'd forgotten children. He'd frozen confused by how much he'd forgotten. His world consisted of them, pain and the burning need for OUT. He'd gotten into the car, a classic '69 Chevy Vette, teal with white leather interior. He remembered thinking how impractical it was for the desert. He'd gotten past the gate. The horizon was so far away, the sky a steel grey, the air tainted with the taste of oily dust. Freedom beckoned, hope even. He'd already formed an idea how to build a radio. If Jack couldn't find him he'd tell the Delta where to go, they'd laugh about it at home around the fire, sipping beer…

Mac didn't remember what happened exactly. There had been an explosion, the Vette had stopped suddenly almost flipping end over nose. Mac's momentum hadn't slowed. He plowed through the windshield then something grabbed his shoulder and pulled him in the other direction. He felt agony in his shoulder. Thinking of it now, it didn't seem so bad really. He was foggily comparing the pain in the shoulder to the pain of having his toenails pulled. A stupid comparison, you would think, but he'd learn pain is a funny thing. Something catastrophic like having your entire shoulder broken should hurt more to go with the increase in bodily damage. A solid correlation, easy peasy lemon squeezy. Who the hell thought of that stupid saying? 9 footed iambic meter. It was all wrong. Even Shakespeare knew you needed iambic pentameter to be real poetry. Amateurs.

Mac had watched blood run from his fingers onto the white leather. He laughed. It wasn't much, but staining pure leather seats...it was satisfying. _No food, no drink, no dirty assed feet-_ Jack where are you? Fear was the random variable. His toes hurt more because the idea of losing toenails...made your toes curl in with shock and fear. Bozer? See what I did there? Bozer? Where was he? Right.

So he'd made it out and was bleeding all over _Tatǎ_ 's car. Mac giggled. He could hear Jack, _Fuck that tater's car._ Mac giggled more. Then the terrorists came. Nothing could hurt him more than he already hurt. That was the moment, Mac thought. No, no that wasn't it. He'd come back to THAT moment later. The door, the-no do this in order. Someone will need to know this someday, one day, sun day? It occured to Mac that he was for real going crazy. Normally that would freak him out. If you go crazy in a crazy situation was that actually normal? Mabey normal was really crazy and he'd been insane all along only just now figured it out? No, focus. Order. Everything has to go in order.

Tater-dude, as Jack would call him. Call him _Tat_ ăif they wanted, he knew he was really Tater-dude. Like later dude. Was that the last thing Jack had said to him? He couldn't remember. It didn't matter because it wouldn't be the last thing Jack would say to him, he knew it. I couldn't be. There wasn't ever going to be a "last" anything between him and Jack. Was there? No, no there was not. Mac moaned as he hit the mucky floor again. At least they hadn't made him lick up the floor. Mac gagged at the thought. He shoved it out of his head sure they would pluck it out from in there and use it. His head. The only place they can't go. The only place he had left. The only place that was still clean, untouched. Empty.

He remembers time passing. They got tired and switched out. He was proud of that. He hurt their hands. Ha, pussies. I hope you broke your fingers on my head. For his part it became a dance. Pain. Thumping of fists, boots, whatever they had-these guys had terrible rhythm, sort of a waltz with a 2/4 skipping in randomly-he'd pass out then they'd do it all over again. Easy peasy lemon squeezy queasy? Right meter, terrible alliteration. It needed something between squeasy and queasy. Maybe another lemon?

That was one thing Mac did not miss. Lemons. He knew the citric acid they had could be used for all sorts of things, and lemon poppyseed muffins-oh yeah. But lemons were so-misrepresentative. Oranges had arguably more uses and were more aesthetically pleasing. More honest somehow. Orange on the outside, orange on the outside. Orange, yum. But lemons? They were all cocky, football shaped with two knobs on the end what the hell was up with that? It was like a two sided boob. Mac giggled. Boob, he'd said boob.

Maybe that's why Jack's humor was so infantile, he'd been hit in the head a lot more times than Mac, right? Ok, maybe they were even now. Jack, Jack please come. I can't take this anymore. Jack, please stop this, please-

Ok, I have to get to the bad stuff now, I guess. You still with me? Cool. God knows what kind of creep you are for reading this, or are you just dissecting me for science? That is comforting, thank you. Oh fuck, don't make me do this don't, don't, don't...please, no more. Jack? Jack please come, please-JAAACK!

…..

Sorry about that, meltdowns, embarrassing! Right? Ok so here I was beaten to a pulp. Pulp? No don't get me going on the lemons again. Easy peasy kill a terrorist squeasy? Maybe, I don't know. It's hard to think. And forget what I said, if I said anything... PAIN SUCKS!

So tater-dude got bored-and all the terrorist's had sore hands. High risk for future arthritis, TAKE THAT YOU PUSSIES! Note to self, calling terrorists pussies is a very painful proposition. Ok, so everything floated for awhile. It's a nice distant horizon that warm foggy place between concussion and death. But you wake up. You always wake up. I hate that. I'm happy to be alive, don't get me wrong. But...sometimes...no, no...please don't make me tell you. Please just let it go...no, no, no.

It wasn't THAT second, but close. It was close. I couldn't stand up when they put the rope around my neck. Everything was too blurry, but the sun. It was sunny out. I couldn't see...At the time I thought I was blind, that they had plucked out my eyes and made me eat them-ugh, gotta shove that one back in my head. Literally! Ha. Did you see what I did there? Easy peasy eyeball squishy...no, no, sorry that's gross. No one would find that funny. Maybe Murdoc. I almost wish he was here. He would be neat about it, you know cutting off things and whatever. I really wish Jack was here. GOD JACK WHY AREN'T YOU HERE!

See they like it when you scream. Especially when it's a chunk of what you hide inside dragged out from your soul and shattered on the mucky floor. Now that right there? That's downright poetic. Would Jack say that? Does Jack even know what poetry is? All the poems Jack knows probably begin with "There one was a man from Nantucket-" What do they call them? Leprechauns? I don't know something Irish. Of course I could see me teasing Jack about it and he turns away and sprouts off Milton. You know the one where Satan's the good guy? The one Murdoc made a guard eat? Paradise City? No, that's the Axl song Jack always sings when he's had too many Jack 'n Cola's. God I wish I was shit-faced with my face in the toilet puking with Jack laughing at me eating a Taco just to watch my puke more. Jack, God, Jack...please. I can't take anymore. I can't-

So they did a terrible job with the rope. I wasn't even in Boy Scout's when I knew how to tie a Hangman's knot. Second of honesty, my dad taught me how to tie a good hangman's knot. Bozer was very impressed. Mama Bozer was a little creeped out when I would sit eating her PBJ (she knew the golden ratio of PB to J in a PBJ) tying and untying nooses. I was the who's who for...about 10 minutes...Even elementary bullies knew more about hanging people than these assholes. If Bozer hadn't saved me I probably would have died instantly. They had the knot placed perfectly in front of the ear. These guys? Straight up slip knot with the knot directly behind the spine. Compresses the windpipe for a long lingering suffocation. With your feet dangling...they were kind enough to leave my hands free...so I could cut myself, break my nails off trying to pry the rope out from my skin...twitching, dancing at the end of a rope while they all roared with laughter and screamed urdu at me.

Then I'd black out. Wake up only to be dropped again. And again. And again. _Rokjao! Bus! Bhuri karam._ Please, please.

You know you're past your limit when you beg laughing terrorists. I just couldn't take anymore. Couldn't…

Then there was THAT instant. THAT moment. THAT microsecond. And it grows like a fungus, a starfish tumor in your head that spreads infection in every cell, ever...everything is colored by it and you are dirty. Stained. Forever. THAT that…

I knew it was coming. I fought against it more than all of the horrors of the previous century of torment. I fought, screamed, begged pleaded in my language, their language, even in the dying gurgle of hope...dying hope...then THAT millisecond. Poof, gone. All hope gone.

For me it wasn't silent. It was loud. An explosion bigger than anything the Ghost could come up with. An explosion-of a steel door slamming shut. Leaving only blackness, silence, and the horrible traitor-protective mother turned ravenous cannibal. My head. Empty of hope, full of tortures worse than all of those...all of any...worst...worst...worst…

Jack covered his eyes and silently sobbed as Mac trailed off and his eyes went blank. Mac rocked back and forth huddled into a ball in the corner of the bathroom. He'd just sat down beside his friend's bed when Mac shot upright and skittered away his eyes wide. He bolted for the only open door in sight, the bathroom. Mac covered his head and started babbling. Jack's heart broke when the babbling would stop and Mac would scream or burst into tears. He tried comforting Mac, but Mac would skitter away. Jack knew he'd lost his brother to the black hole he'd been trapped in for part or all of the thirty days.

Jack wiped snot off his face and sniffed. Guilt churned in his gut. He'd been sleeping when Mac came out of surgery. He'd been confused and quiet. Asleep, Jack had been told. But Mac had bolted. He saw Jack as only another one of the shadows that wanted to hurt him. Worst, he saw Jack as the one that never came. The one who abandoned him.

"You have to know I did all I could." Jack murmured softly. Mac froze and stared at Jack wide-eyed.

"Jack be nimble, jack be quick-" Mac started singing as he shook his head, "No, no, no-this is all wrong." Mac looked directly at Jack a depth of pain and pleading that tore Jack's heart out with meat hooks.

" _Bhuri kharam."_ Jack cleared his throat and blinked his tears away. Enough of this bullshit, he had a brother to save. It may have taken a month to rescue his body, he'd take fucking years if he had to to rescue his mind. Jack took in the bathroom. It was large. Probably for washing smaller animals. Jack cleared his throat and pulled at the neck of his collar still uncomfortable from the brief but thorough once over Laura had given him.

Jack squirmed at the binder on his middle section. She was a good nurse, wise, and he liked her mostly-but damn what a perv. He totally did not need that-Jack shuddered and turned away blushing.

"Jack?" Jack snapped his head around. Mac shrunk back from the fast move. Jack held out his hands palms forward trying to be non threatening.

"Yeah, it's me." He whispered back. He cleared his throat but his raw emotions would not go down. Mac slid into the corner and pulled his knees close to his chest. How such a tall man could curl into such a tiny ball especially with his right arm and shoulder casted was beyond Jack's understanding. Knowing Mac felt like he had to when he was alone with Jack tore a hole through his soul. Jack wiped at his face and sniffed. Mac slowly crept toward him. Jack winced at the scraping of his bare bruised legs against the tile. It had been sterilized like the rest of the med area, but Jack didn't want a speck of dust in Mac's orbit. Especially after the filth he'd been forced to live in.

Jack froze sure Mac could hear his heartbeat. Mac reached out a shaking hand and touched Jack's face. Mac frowned.

"Are you really here?" He whispered. Jack smiled and held Mac's hand against his cheek.

"Yeah, I came for ya kiddo. It took longer...I came as fast as I could. I promise, Mac. I swear if I could have driven, or-" Jack trailed off and turned away. He looked up at Jesus hanging sad and alone in the dim light. He closed his eyes but still the image of Mac dangling at the end of a noose-

"Jack?" Mac whispered. Jack looked up startled. Mac's voice was in his ear. He slowly turned to see a confused and worried MacGyver eyeing him from an inch away. Jack smiled and leaned forward. Mac slowly wrapped his arms around Jack then curled around him like a comma.

Jack could feel waves of heat pour from Mac. No doubt his high fever was a good part of his babbling return to the dark hole. Jack shifted until Mac was curled up at his side snug beside him. Jack pulled him closer careful of his sore shoulder. Mac leaned his head on Jack's shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Jack." Mac whispered. Jack frowned.

"For what?"

"I gave up." Jack took a long breath in then let it out slowly. He leaned over Mac's soft fuzz tickling his cheek.

"It's ok, brother. We're ok." They were quite a long time. The building was silent except for the distant soft murmur of the medical team organizing the medical gear that came in that afternoon. Jack knew something big and bad was coming their way and he would have to get the island prepared. He wanted to sit Matty down and make her use her words so he knew how to protect them all from...whatever.

But that was tomorrow's problem. Today...now, was just for now. In the middle of the night, movement beside him woke him up. He blinked and looked down. Mac had pulled a pile of blankets and pillows from his bed. Mac laid curled up in the pile under the sink his back to the corner. Jack shook his head. Mac had left an equally big pile beside Jack. Jack smiled and curled into his pile laying across the door jam. Both of them would be stiff and sore tomorrow, but if this is what it took for Mac to feel safe, it was a small price to pay.

A flash of light caught Jack's eye. Lightening. A distant answering thunder sounded. It was muffled by the thick walls of the bathroom, but Jack knew it was going to be a bad one especially in an old barn with stained glass windows for a ceiling. Mac moaned. Jack rose to crawling and moved to Mac's side. He couldn't fit under the sink like Mac could, but laid as close as he could. He put out a hand towards Mac and closed his eyes. He felt a hot sweaty grip on his hand and squeezed it. Soon he could hear Mac snoring softly. Jack closed his eyes and was out. When they woke up the next morning, they were stiff and sore, but neither remembered the storm.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Dear Guest, thank you for the correction of Urdu! I used Google and there you are. Or maybe, Mac was just so out of it he forgot the right Urdu? Huh? Huh? Anyway thank you. Also thank you Ridley C. James for again allowing me to play in Jack's back round. I'm sorry I forgot to give you credit in the last chapter. Thanks everybody for reading and reviewing-still more pain to come. Hee hee-Pox


	6. Chapter 6

Mac gasped and bolted upright-cracking his head into a low-hanging pipe. Mac laid back breathing heavy. He backed up the chills and sweat lingering from his nightmare. He blinked. Open. Air. No stink. He took long breaths. He was soaked wet, but felt better. He moaned rubbing his shoulder. Ok, he still felt like shit and hurt, but the all encompassing fog and heat were gone. He laid back yawning.

He realized he was laying under a sink in bathroom he didn't recognize. Mac sucked in a breath suddenly cold. He took in the room. Toilet, sink and open to the air shower. No tile. It was like the stall of a horse stable. Even the roof appeared to be whitewashed slatts. The door was open. Mac realized he was in a pile of pillows and blankets. His memory was a broken kaleidoscope of memories of horrors and pain then blurs of care and love-mostly of Jack. Mac rubbed his casted shoulder. It hurt like a son of a bitch, but was better than it had been. He knew he'd broken it in the Vette crash and suspected it'd healed all wrong. Mac groaned as he slid out from under the sink. How the hell did he get under here? He knew the why of it.

The bathroom he was in was bigger than the typical bathroom probably close to a fifteen foot square, empty and practical. He felt wildly exposed. His back twitched as he nervously scanned the room. He stood up and closed his eyes. Free. He was free. He ignored the cold sweat gluing his shirt to his skin.

Mac frowned and raised his hand to his head. His eyes widened.

"What the-" He spun and had to hold onto the sink with both hands to remain standing. He leaned over and heaved putting a hand across his gut with the pain of it. He moaned and his legs turned to rubber. He landed on a second pile of pillows and blankets. He sprawled supine and closed his eyes waiting for the world to stop Black Swanning around him. God, he felt like shit.

He felt the constriction around his neck. _Laughing. Tight. Can't breath…_ Mac rolled to the side heaving. He shook with cold. He almost wished his fever was back. The blackness had been cold. Cold, still, alone...Mac hurled. He closed his eyes letting his body go through the painful motion of rejecting food. Can't reject what you ain't got. Mac wondered when he started thinking in Jack's voice.

"Dammit, I leave you alone for one damned minute." Mac rolled over and squinted up at the chorus of Jack's circling the ceiling. He closed his eyes and put a hand on his aching head.

"Why do I have no hair?" He asked his voice hoarse. It hurt to talk. There was a long pause and Mac looked up at Jack through one squinted eye.

"Mac, are you back?" Jack's voice was painfully soft and caring. Mac's gut spasmed again as Jack reached out and put a hand on his chest. He couldn't hide the flinch.

"No." Mac whispered. He lowered his arm tiredly. He could see the wear worry had carved into his craggy features, "Geez, you look like crap." Jack grinned like he was a kid who got the cool toy for Christmas.

"Think you could stomach some food?" Mac moaned.

"More than I could one of your puns." Jack's touch was warm, gentle but Mac still shied away his body tightening and shaking on its own. He shook as Jack ducked under his good shoulder. Mac breathed through his mouth and leaned on his partner.

"You, ok? You are not a healthy color." Mac nodded forcing his knees to lock into an upright position. He squinted his eyes shut against the wave of sweat and nausea that trembled through him. He didn't know if it was from being sick, pain, fear, shock...his knees broke and he fell. Jack caught him. Mac groaned as he was again lifted by his friend. If he didn't feel so bad, he'd be burning with shame. Everything became a stream of snapping electricity. It took awhile to clear.

When it did he found he was sprawled on an operating table looking up at a jeweled roof and the most tragic Jesus on a cross he'd ever seen.

"You ok?" Jack whispered. Mac squinted up at Jack.

"Why are you whispering?" Jack grinned much more than the comment deserved.

"Well, I don't want to scare away the last marble rattling around that nut of yours." Mac's forehead creased. He shook his head too tired to chase the non-logic of Jack's metaphor, or was that a simile. Mac groaned turning his head to the side.

"...kiddo?"

"What?" Mac asked softly.

"I asked if you were going to puke?"

"No...it's just everything…" Mac bit off his words. He shook worse. He felt like his body was writhing like bacon with boiling oil bouncing up and down his body. He squeezed the bridge of his nose with his finger and thumb. A brick slam into his chest. His eyes opened wide and he couldn't breathe.

"Whoa! Whoa, easy, easy…" Jack lifted him ande folded around him like a safety suit. Mac closed his eyes as his body decided to continue the meltdown without him. He felt as if he were watching from the ceiling as his body flailed and he screamed. Everything was distant. He was a scientist watching a chemical reaction.

He'd been captured before, of course. Even tortured, but never for an entire month, and worse living inside the horror of his own brain uninterrupted in black chilled silence. Stress like that coils into your body like a knot in a muscle only to pop out at inexplicable times. Ghost Mac looked down as Body Mac sobbed into Jack's chest. He hated the anger and guilt on Jack's face. He wished he could pull away, not need his brother so desperately. Jack's arms around him was the only thing keeping him from flying into a million shards.

All storms eventually pass. A century later Mac leaned against Jack unable to move. Jack grimaced and fought the urge to shift. He'd been rocking the blonde so long he had a crick in his neck. It never occurred to him to let go. Mac mumbled something into his chest. Jack frowned and leaned back. Mac was a bubbly blob of melted colors. It took Jack a frightening second to remember it was raining through the stainglassed window above their heads.

"What's that?" He asked. Mac's head hung. Jack grimaced at the bandage visible at the back of his neck. Jack put his hand on Mac's good shoulder to steady the kid. Mac's eyes were red and puffy. His face was reddend while looking ghastly pale all at once. He was soaked as if he'd been out in a monsoon, but was blessedly cool. Mac's body still shook and he looked like he was going to fall over or puke.

"Mac?" Mac slowly raised his head and blinked at Jack confused. He shook his head then looked away wiping his face with his fingers then wiping his fingers on his hospital gown.

"I asked why I had no hair." Mac looked up and a weak attempt at a smile ghosted across his face. Jack felt the tension in his shoulders lessen a notch.

"Well, a funny thing happened on the way home-" Mac met Jack's gaze completely thrown by the non sequitur.

"What-?" Jack laughed and hugged Mac. Mac let out a surprised gasp and managed to hide most of his flinch of fear.

"God, Mac, I was so scared." Jack said into Mac's shoulder. Mac closed his eyes and forced himself to not squirm and took deep breaths forcing away another freak out. He pulled Jack in and awkwardly patted his partner's back.

"Yeah." He said his throat tight. He pushed his eyes together tighter and opened his mouth to smooth out his breathing. He couldn't stop the cold sweat or shaking. Jack let go and turned away to wipe his face. Mac leaned forward his good arm hugging his chest. It hurt, god, it hurt so bad. He shook more repeating over and over it was Jack not them, Jack not them, Jack…He couldn't stop the yelp and jerk back when Jack touched his arm. Mac turned away not wanting to face the guilt and worry he knew he'd find in Jack's concerned look.

"Seriously, Mac, it's ok to be a mess for awh-"  
"You said something about food?" Mac cut Jack off and forced his aching body to straighten. He held onto the corner of the table with white knuckles. And it wasn't just to keep the world from spinning. Jack nodded and backed off. He was ready to catch Mac, again, if needed.

"Wanna clean up first? No offense but your kinda stink-" Mac looked up surprised at Jack's inhale. He remembered the stench, the filth...Mac shuddered and looked away.

"Mac, I-" Jack started. Mac forced himself to meet Jack's eyes. His attempt at a smile was better, but the pain in his eyes didn't dim.

"So that's what happened to my hair." He murmured. Mac took a steadying breath and a small hint of his usual mischievousness entered his eyes, "You've been wanted to cut it for years." Jack laughed.

"I can't help it if you wear it too long, like a damned hippie." Mac groaned as he put his good arm across Jack's shoulder.

"I'll wash up then we can find the others...Where the hell are we?" Jack began to babble. Mac got the gist but focused on staying on his feet. He let out a deep breath exhausted by the time Jack hauled Mac into a wheelchair in front of the sink with soap and a washcloth. Thankfully there was no mirror. Jack stepped back but wouldn't leave the room until he saw how uneasy Mac was with him standing behind him.

"I'm gonna go find you something else to wear, you gonna be ok here for a minute?" Mac paused hearing the question under the question. He couldn't hide the bunching of his muscles along his spine or the increase in his breathing at the idea of being alone...vulnerable. Mac closed his eyes and gritted his teeth.

"Y…" Mac cleared his throat, "Um...yeah. I'll be fine."

"Ok, don't worry you are surrounded by Phoenix Tac and I'll only be across the room in the other shower room, ok?" Mac half-turned and fake-glared at his friend.

"Git gone, "Jack raised an eyebrow in surprise at Mac's terrible fake Texan accent. Mac let out a genuine laugh glad to have caught his friend by surprise, "Seriously, Jack I'll be fine. Just...uh, don't take too long, ok?" Jack grinned.

"Well, if you insist pard." Jack's John Wayne wasn't quite as bad as Mac's Texan. Both men laughed more than the joke called for, but there was a cleansing between them. Jack tapped the door frame,

"Ok, I'll be back in five. Don't forget the pits." Jack disappeared before Mac could find something to throw at the Delta. Mac turned and leaned forward holding onto the sink enduring the wave after wave of pain. His body shook more.

"Stop, stop, stop…" He mumbled to his body. To his ears it sounded too much like his begging. He leaned over the sink breathing through his mouth. Ok, ok...he can do this. After a long minute, the world stopped attacking him enough for him to do a perfunctory cleaning. His body hunched close to itself and he constantly looked up, jumpy if he even thought there was a movement. He dried his head and paused running his hands over the soft fur. He could feel the bumps and stitches. His own head was a strange foreign moon. His crossed his chest as much as he could starting to fold into a ball. The room seemed to darken, the air-Mac closed his eyes but that made everything dark...alone...cold-

"Hey-" Jack's loud bellow sent Mac's heart into overdrive. Mac curled forward lost in the chill, the fear, the-"Whoa, easy, easy brother...c'mon breathe...it's ok, you're safe…" Everything seemed to turn shades paler. He was cold... _laughing...boots, boots are always first…_

"Breathe already! C'mon, Riley and Bozer's gonna kill me if I killed you-" Mac frowned. What? He became aware of arms around him-again-rocking him. Mac stiffened. Jack let go but held onto Mac's shoulders. Any amusement the pair had managed was gone. Mac twisted Jack's shirt in his fist and couldn't hide the terror pulsing through him. He opened his mouth trying to say something. Jack shook his head.

"It's ok, brother, don't talk just yet. You did good. I'm proud of ya. It's gonna take time. It was real bad this time, ok?" Mac looked down suddenly aware of tears running down his face. His hand shook too much for him to have enough coordination to wipe his face.

"Shh, it's ok. Nobody here but us chickens." Mac closed his eyes as Jack leaned forward and gently dried his face with the towel. Mac stared down at the floor as Jack helped him into a T-shirt, sweater, then hoodie and jeans. Jack kept up a babble that soothed Mac. Neither man mentioned the death grip Mac kept on Jack's shirt.


	7. Chapter 7

The buzz of Jack's phone startled Mac. He straightened with an audible gasp and looked around him, his heart pumping. Jack put a hand on his shoulder and shot him a worried look. Mac returned his gaze to his shoelaces. Would he ever stop being so goddamned scared? Mac swallowed and leaned an elbow on the wheelchair then cupped his forehead in his palm. He winced at the layer of sweat.

"Hold on a sec, it's Matty." Jack whispered as he answered the phone. Mac looked up as Jack patted his shoulder then stepped away. He crossed the length of the church barn but stayed in Mac's sight. Mac let out a deep breath, but couldn't keep the muscles between his shoulders from flinching with unease. His eyes travelled from shadow to shadow waiting for each one to come to life and hurt him. Mac shook his head and started to pace with the wheelchair. He studied the wooden Jesus. It was rough hewn but not old.

"Dammit!" Mac jumped and looked at Jack startled. Jack saw the tension in Mac's face. He waved a hand and rolled his eyes smiling. Mac wasn't reassured. His gut began to churn with unease. He shook his head forcing himself to calm down. Mac had a hunch that Matty was asking for an update. It rankled him to have the others talk about him. He moved forward. Jack held up a finger then turned his back to Mac softening his voice so Mac couldn't hear him. Mac felt a pang in his chest and his throat tightened.

Mac gritted his teeth and put his hands on the wheels to roll forward and bitch the man out. He froze an idea occurring to him. Jack had said this island had been taken from smugglers and drug runners. Why the hell did they have a church? Mac narrowed his eyes and studied the building more closely.

He could see the pipes of an antique organ poking out from a loft. He sat up. The pipes were dirty and dusty, but the connections between them seemed to gleam-new. They were lined up in random order and looked well-used even though playing coherent music would be impossible. The walls were freshly whitewashed and spotlessly white. Mac sniffed. He could still make out the faint smell of paint. Nausea churned in his gut. He looked up at the stainglassed window. He couldn't make out an image. It looked like random globs of candy melted together. It wasn't stain glassed but some sort of molded polymer, probably polycarbonate. A bullet proof ceiling made sense, Mac supposed but it would be hard to make and he couldn't think of anywhere it could be made, especially on a small island in the middle of nowhere.

Jack hadn't told him where the island was. Mac frowned. Why had Matty brought him to an isolated place with only Phoenix medical? He knew they were probably more than able to take care of anything that came up, but hauling all of this medical equipment and prepping this building would be difficult and incredibly expensive. Why? The question seemed to echo in the empty space around him. Above the plastic over his head he could see it was night, but bright blue light moved across the waves of plastic. A spotlight probing the storm outside. From the angle, it was above them. Mac couldn't hear it, but it had to be a helicopter. Why was it aiming at the building. Mac glanced over at Jack. For the first time he realized Jack was in full TAC gear with three guns. He had his familiar Beretta in his chest holder, a Glock at his him and another gun in a thigh holster. He was so used to Jack being armed it hadn't occurred to him. Another layer of cold sweat broke out and suddenly the air was thin around him.

His brain worked feverishly. His heart skipped as he saw it. He'd been gone a month. It would have taken far longer for this place to have been set up. Mac turned and stared into Jesus's sad eyes. Absently he noted the eyes were painted blue. He shook his head. No, it couldn't be. He turned around. Jack had moved to the doorway and was talking to someone outside. From the tone, Mac knew it was one of his agents.

Why were there so many agents if they were on a forgotten island that had hid drug smugglers for who knows how long? Thinking of that, Mac wondered how the DEA had found this place anyway.

From satellite the compound would have seemed like any other farm. That explained the polymer ceiling. It would muddle images from any kind of satellite the government had. Something even the most sophisticated drug smuggling ring probably wouldn't be able to afford if they had the technology or knowledge to make.

No, this wasn't a random drug smuggler's island. This was a specifically designed government facility. Mac's mouth went dry. It would make sense Matty would bring him here to protect him, but the terrorists had been vaporized back in Pakistan. Mac shivered and pulled the hoodie tighter. Something bigger was going on.

Mac thought about their last mission. He closed his eyes and put a hand on his chest. His muscles cramped and he begged his brain to stop, but it was too late. Variables were falling into a coherent theory he didn't like. They had stolen plans for a portable nuclear program. A program designed to be attached to space vessels. A space program like Pakistan's government financed SUPARCO? If state sponsored, a shadow branch of the Pakistani government, or a separate terrorist group this idea was terrifying.

Flashes of boots, faces, pain blistered across his head. He leaned forward.

"Ja-" He gasped. Jack was talking low but animatedly to whoever was outside. Mac tried to take in air, but couldn't gather enough to cry out. His chest hurt. His fingers and toes were numb. Still his brain kept firing mercilessly.

His being taken had been unplanned, of course, but he doubted Matty would pass up an opportunity to squelch such a huge threat. The sum conclusion drove a stake through him. Mac clutched his head as pain stabbed through it. He couldn't breath. The world was spinning. He was bait. His friends, his family was using him as bait! A black wave seemed to rise from the ground. They were using him. Even Jack. Mac's universe shattered.

Was this another delusion coming out from the blackness? Was this all a hallucination? Was he still in the hole? Did they still hold him? Had he been rescued at all? Mac screamed.


	8. Chapter 8

Jack had been a constant state of worry since the day he met MacGyver. He looked up from tieing Mac's shoulder and realized his capacity for worry was higher than he ever imagined. Mac stared at his hands with such a sad face he made the pitiful excuse for a Jesus in the other room look jolly.

"Mac, hey? You with me?" Mac's eyes flicked up and the kid's cheeks twitched. Jack thought that might have been a weak attempt at a smile. Jack patted Mac's knee as he stood up grunting as his own popped. He paused hoping Mac wold joke like he normally would. Normally before the hell he'd gone through. Nothing. Mac was back to staring at his fingers.

Jack didn't think his heart could break into more pieces. He was wrong about that too. Both men jumped when his phone buzzed. Mac looked up eyes wide with panic. Jack gently squeezed Mac's shoulder.

"Yeah?"

"Jack, we have a problem." Of course. Jack looked down not liking Mac's color. He was a waxy sallow. Mac met his gaze.

"Hold on a sec," Jack said to Matty, to Mac he said," it's Matty." Jack's voice was quiet with worry. It took a minute for Mac to process what he said. Mac nodded and his gaze dropped down to his hands as if they were exotic creatures he didn't want to startle. Jack shook his head and stepped away.

"Ok, Matty what is it?" Jack spoke softly. As always, Matty could read the story in his voice.

"What's wrong? You said his fever broke."

"It did, but something else is going on. I'm worried."

"We all are, Jack."

"That tone of voice says things just got a shitload worse, you know I hate that tone."

"Yeah, Jack things have gotten a whole lot worse." Jack stiffened and walked further away from Mac, but remaining in his sightline. He glanced back and let out a breath. Mac had started pacing with his wheelchair eyeing the old horse barn with interest. Maybe things weren't as bad as they thought. Jack cursed himself the second he thought it because if there was one thing he knew for sure it was the universe loved to slap him down for cockiness.

"The DOJ knows where we are."

"Dammit!" Jack snarled. He turned and could see Mac almost rattling across the room with tension. Shit. He pointed at the phone and rolled his eyes. Mac's face hardened with a shade of the MacGyver annoyance Jack knew so well. Jack wished Mac would storm over and give him a dressing down for talking about him, but he could see the terror haunting Mac become a living thing coiling around the kid. Jack gritted his teeth and turned away. He didn't want Mac to pick up on his fury. He so wanted the terrorists to still be alive so he could kill them all over again.

"Matty, you better come over here to tell me, Mac is getting agitated."

"Right, give me a sec."

" 'K." Jack paused then hit speed dial.

"Jack, where's our boy?" Bozer's cheerful voice boomed in his ear. Jack rubbed his forehead sure a migraine was coming on.

"Boze, Matty says something's going on, you're gonna have to put the soup on hold.

"What? C'mon, man! You promised tonight was gonna be the night." Jack glanced back at Mac who was staring at the old choir loft. Jack's gut burned.

"I know, Boze, I'm sorry. Matty is coming over she says the DOJ found us."

"WHAT? Shit, shit, shit-"

"Jack, we put you on speaker." Riley came over the line. Jack could hear a soft murmur of voices crackle in the background, "What's going on?"

"Did you talk to Matty yet?"

"No, why?" Jack rubbed his head.

"She said the DOJ found us."

"They're gonna make us bring Mac in." Riley said her voice a hard sharp blade. Jack grabbed his Beretta.

"Like hell they are." He growled. He could hear the outer door open, "Hold on, Matty's here let me get to the door I'll call ya back." Matty stood in the door under a bright red umbrella. A new one since Jack and Mac had lost hers out to sea a few months back. She stepped in the doorway and shook the rain off her umbrella. Lightning flashed across the sky and wind whooshed her hair in all directions before Jack muscled the door shut.

"If this storm gets much worse we won't have to worry about the DOJ." Jack grunted as he swabbed his face. Even in that short of a time a wave of water seemed to slam into him.

"No shit, how is he." Jack stepped aside. Matty looked past him. Mac sat taut in the wheelchair staring up at the ceiling. Matty brushed hair out of her face.

"We should just bring him up to the house." Jack said. Matty looked at Jack her eyes soft.

"I want to too, but you heard Dr. Mendez." Jack let out a long huff.

"Just cuz he's a shrink doesn't mean he knows everything."

"I know, Jack." Matty took his hand in hers. He looked down his eyes burning. She met his eyes with a warm gaze, "I know, ok?" Jack nodded and glanced back at Jack. He frowned. Mac was staring at the walls. He had a familiar thoughtful expression.

"What the hell is he up to?" Matty asked. Jack shrugged. He felt a cold iron press into his stomach.

"I don't know. He needs food." Jack turned his attention back to Matty, "He needs us." They both turned to watch Mac make a slow circle of the building again.

"Food is going to be hard, even more than usual, Jack. You know that." Jack grimaced and turned away rubbing water out of his short hair. When Mac was out Doc Carl and Izzy had given him a thorough once over. They had seen trauma in his mouth, nose and back of his throat. Mac had been force fed. From experience, Jack knew what kind of horrors they could have made Mac swallow while they held him down. He closed his eyes grinding his teeth so hard they hurt. Mac would have been awake for every single terrible second.

For the day and a half he had been unconscious, Doc Carl had put a tube down the kid's nose to his stomach and pumped in all the nutrition they safely could. Since he's been awake he hadn't eaten anything. They dared not wait any longer. Tonight they were going to bring Mac to the main farmhouse and have a low key family meal with Bozer's high nutrition chicken vegetable soup. They had amped the nutritional value to the max. The hope had been that having Jack, Mac, Riley, Bozer and Matty at the table alone in the quiet warm homey place would distract Mac from the memories of the torment he'd suffered.

It had been hard on the others. Sally was just about pacing a hole in the staff cabins out back desperate to see her favorite charge. The TAC teams, there in case any straggling drug runners came out of the nooks and crannies of the island, were enjoying the down time. All of Phoenix's main operations were being conducted in a high tech command center in the lower level of the farmhouse. It was a sweet set up. Jack was going to suggest they move Phoenix out here permanently if for no other reason than it would make keeping track of Mac a whole lot easier.

"Jack," Jack crossed his arms and took a steadying breath, "We're going to bring him in, but we have to do it in stages."

"Or, it'll overwhelm him, yeah I heard the speech too, Matty, but this barn is…" Jack waved a hand encompassing the entire odd building, "I mean, shit, they could have sacrificed chickens or whatever the hell a cult does in here." It wasn't so much the place was creepy, Jack silently added, so much as empty. The only people Mac had seen since he woke up was Doc Carl, Izzy and Jack. Jack doubted Mac remembered Doc Carl or Izzy. Normally, Jack loved the idea of him and Mac spending time alone, hanging out, just the bros, but when Mac was looking at him with soul breaking terror sobbing his heart out, gasping for air, or worst, screaming- Jack had to fight to not join him in the dark tunnels his mind dragged him. Jack felt so helpless against the sheer hurt his brother had been through. Jack dearly wished it had been him, all him, instead of Mac.

"I told you, Jack, for the last time they were not a cult, alright? The smugglers killed a weird billionaire and his family to get this island. They built the church, ok?" Jack rolled his eyes.

"Great, so we have ghosts instead of voodoo zombies, much better." Matty huffed in frustration she forced herself to be patient.

"Jack, there is no such thing as-"

"Right, Matty, have you seen that cross up there? You're telling me they didn't expect that thing to come to life?"

"JACK!" Matty growled. Jack shushed her and glanced over his shoulder. Mac sat looking up at said cross. Jack could almost feel tension building in his partner's body. He was uneasy about leaving his boy alone this long.

"Whatever, Matty. What's this about the DOJ?" Matty narrowed her eyes and looked like she wanted to keep scolding him. She glanced at Mac and her tough facade crumbled.

"They know where we are-"

"How the hell-"

"I don't know, Jack, but they do, alright? I talked them into coming here instead of expecting us to bring Mac to them, but-" Jack felt his heart break all over again. They had been trying to ease Mac back from the hole he'd been in to avoid overloading him and sending him back off the brink where they couldn't ever reach him again. Jack remembered Mac thrashing when he woke up overwhelmed by sensations. Jack closed his eyes flinching as if he'd been hit across the face. They were worse than the times he had to watch helpless as Mac was tortured. Jack couldn't take the screams, especially since there was no drawing attention away from Mac, helping to ease his brother's pain. Jack would stand in the way of a million flaming spears if he could save Mac one solitary scream.

"-as soon as the weather allows an interrogation team will be here." Matty said. Jack found he was caressing the Beretta with his finger. He'd do whatever he had to to protect Mac, even if it was from their own government. Mac was too vulnerable. Jack doubted that even he would ever hear the entire story from Mac's mouth. To have the kid face a team of strangers trained to break the most hardened criminals in the world was unthinkable. He opened his mouth to tell Matty this, when his greatest fears came true. Worse than before, Mac started to scream as if he were in Hell and Satan himself was turning the spit.

Jack spun and ran to his boy, Matty completely forgotten.


	9. Chapter 9

Blackness beckoned. Mac had no idea when it had become such a comforting enemy. He leaned forward. In the back of his head, Mac knew he had to breathe, but he'd given up listening to his sane voice a long, long time ago. Maybe this time...Maybe this time, it would end…

Hands caught him as he tipped forward. Not real, he told himself. Not real, not real, not real, not real...Having a nightmare was bad. Having a sweet dream where he was back with his family, safe, away from pain and constant terror then to wake up and having it all shredded, all a wishful lie...That was a gnarled claw tearing out his spine through his heart. His reality had become blood, agony, blackness...Mac screamed. Go away! GO AWAY! STOP, STOP, STOP! He closed his eyes and sobbed. Darkness, he was in darkness and alone. None of this was real. None of this was real. None of this was-

Jack felt his own heart slam in his chest. He shook Mac. Mac was turning a pale dusky blue. He gasped for air between his near incoherent screams. His blue eyes didn't focus on anything. Jack knew Mac was lost in that beautiful brain of his, that terrible, lost brain. Jack almost screamed himself as he pulled Mac closer and ran his hand over Mac's forehead. It was an affectionate gesture, a habit. He knew everything about his boy. He knew Mac melted with any fatherly gesture, and Jack had to admit it was sometimes more comforting for him. Instead of the long unruly blond locks, Jack's thumb brushed across bruised and swollen flesh covered with a fine silken down. Was that what feeling a baby's head felt like-not the blood and bruising-but the soft hair, the vulnerable paleness of a fragile scalp in your palm?

"Mac, Mac...c'mon man. I swear on my father you're safe, that this is real, and that you are safe...I SWEAR it!" Jack raised his voice a little. Mac's eyes widened. Jack winced. He'd wanted to shake the kid out of the circle of horrors his brain twisted his world into, but it backfired. He weakly pushed at Jack. A flatness-part resignation, part confirmation seeped into the panic. Mac's breathing became short guppy breaths. Jack could feel his muscles tremble. Mac's arms dropped and he closed his eyes.

Jack frowned. Mac's body hadn't gone limp with unconsciousness only...stopped. Jack closed his eyes. Stupid, stupid-Jack shook his head. Of course Mac thought he was still a prisoner. Jack took in the simple barn. He ran his thumb over Mac's cheek. The blonde had given up. He waited for the next torture, the next horror. How many times had his brother given up? How many times had he laid in complete blackness waiting for them to take him for beatings or-Jack's brain stuttered to a stop at the mental image of Mac being raised by his neck. Hanging as his feet kicked and his body twisted. Jack had seen the gouges along the single bloody chasm on Mac's neck. Mac had clawed through his own flesh with the drive to breathe. He'd fall into darkness, then be woken up and dropped again- How many times?

Jack closed his eyes but he couldn't get rid of the thick knot in his own throat. His chest tightened, and he had to remind himself he could breathe. Still the horror reran in disturbing detail. The laughing, the jeering. Mac's body would have failed him. He would have hung there like meat covered as his bladder and bowels released-and suffocating...the blind panic, unable to force in another breath. The animal terror-Jack realized his grip on the blonde had tightened so hard he was leaving marks. Mac turned his head aside and Jack could feel the blonde tense, but he didn't fight. Mac hung stiff in his arms waiting for the beating, burning, slicing...hanging.

Lights flashed across Jack's forehead and he felt lightheaded. He tasted blood. Jack realized he'd bitted his tongue enough to draw blood. Jack gritted his teeth. No, nope, not gonna happen. Mac was still in there fighting. Even the kid may not know it, but Jack knew it. Mac didn't give up, not like this. Not now, not ever. Mac might have been beaten, maybe even broken-a little-but he was a survivor. The ultimate survivor. He wouldn't give up, Jack wasn't going to either. Jack grunted as he folded Mac into his arms.

"Let's get out of here, kiddo." He whispered. He lifted Mac shrugging him close to his heart. Mac's breathing had slowed and his body was slowly uncoiling and growing heavier with unconsciousness. Once Jack had him in hand, he headed for the door. Matty stepped in his way and held out a hand.

"Jack-"

"Matty, get outta the way before I do something we both regret." Matty took a deep breath and opened her mouth. Jack had to remind himself that she was trying to help. She thought the doctors knew better than Jack. That was one of Matty's strengths, and weaknesses. She listened to experts and opinions too much. She saw the big picture in all things. Sure, Jack thought, it made sense intellectually that Mac would be overloaded being bombarded by the team's enthusiastic love and the day to day stimuli of other people, especially after being in a silen, dank, black, hole-but Jack had multiple doctorates in all things MacGyver.

As terrible as the physical torment had been, nothing would have savaged Mac like the relentless whirling blades of his own mind and being trapped with it for who knows how long. Matty stared at Jack carrying Mac a long minute then nodded and stepped aside. She followed in their wake. Jack had a vague impression of her on the phone then he slammed into a wall of rain.

Jack shook his head clearing the flood out of his eyes so he could see. Over the howling winds, he could hear the violent surf hammer the tiny island. Jack stepped back. Determination, more than any kind of muscle strength kept him from being blown back by the wind. He leaned into it and headed down the narrow twisted gravel path to the main house.

He squinted his eyes against the rain lashing at him. Even though several LA studio strength floodlights lit the land around them and Jack knew it was too early for night, he felt as if he had fallen into the blackest night. His feet slid in the gravel. He barely noticed as he relentlessly pushed forward. The farmhouse was a huge neo-Victorian. Jack thought it looked like Mrs. Bates' house. He caught a glimpse of movement out the corner of his eye. He had a flash of red-Matty's umbrella-as she scurried past him, up the stairs and onto the wrap around porch.

The front door opened and a handful of TAC agents spilled out. Jack hesitated in midstep. Was Matty going to fight him? Jack's narrowed eyes scanned the storm around him looking at the terrain measuring paths, capabilities and weapons. Matty lowered her umbrella and stood beside the open door. She shook her wet hair and rolled her eyes.

"Dalton, get your ass up here!" She yelled. Jack grinned. He could feel his guys grab his arm and help pull him toward the golden light, adding their muscle to his speed. Jack's ears popped as he stepped into the warm dry air of the front hall. Jack shook his head sluicing water away from his face. He took a second to take in the warm fire and homey feels. Jack glanced at Mac who shivered in his arms. Mac's foggy blue eyes were cracked and blearily rolled in the kid's skull. They slowly swung to Jack's face and the corner's of Mac's mouth twitched at a faint attempt at a smile. Mac's eyes rolled closed and his head snuggled close to Jack's wet chest.

"Welcome home, buddy." Jack whispered. The brief silent moment was shattered by the running of feet and blurred movement. Jack took a deep breath as he stepped through the worried voices of the family. Jack brought Mac into the heart of the home and climbed a well-worn flight of stairs. His wet jeans clung and twisted to him painfully as his boots slapped against the loose boards. Jack puffed in air as he crossed long area rugs and turned into a large bedroom with two feather beds on either side. He leaned over and gently placed Mac easing the kid's head onto the fat feathered pillow. He paused to brush away a layer of cold rainwater from Mac's face then stepped back, or was shoved back by Doc Carl, Izzy and Sally as they bent over Mac. Jack turned wiping at his own face and met Matty's gaze. She rolled her eyes and pushed long wet strands of hair out of her face.

"Better get in dry clothes, Dalton. I can deal with an insubordinate Jack, but never a sick one." Jack smiled and nodded. He turned back amused to hear Sally's angry growls as she bent over Mac pulling off his wet clothes and helping the docs take care of Mac. Jack's smile vanished when he caught the full force of the red head's glare. Her anger was a palpable thing completely directed at him. Oh hell. Jack spun, grabbed a clean set of clothes and scurried out of the room to the safety of the shower. At least Laura wasn't there, the shower would be no protection against the old battle ax. Jack's shudder had nothing to do with the chill from the storm. He'd rather face a whole battalion of ninjas with chainsaws than deal with Laura-especially in a shower!

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Mac bolted awake his chest heaving. His heart pounded in his chest. He closed his eyes and took deep breaths until he felt like he could deal with whatever next trauma awaited. He laid back and blinked in surprise.

Where the hell was he? The room was large. Mac jumped as glass panes in the window beside his bed rattled in howling wind. He rubbed his face and shook his head. The room didn't go away. Mac smiled taking in the room. If it was a hallucination, he was going to enjoy it-before it turns bad.

He was in a bed, a real bed. It wasn't his own, but almost better. It was soft, filled with feathers? His pillow was likewise a cloud of comfort. He was under a pile of quilts that felt hand sewn. The walls of the room were light colored. Mac couldn't tell if they were light blue, or if that was an effect from the bright light coming in the window-some sort of spotlight. The walls were bare, the beds were handmade. The room reminded him a little of Jack's Nana's house. Mac closed his eyes and crossed his arms taking a deep breath. The images his brain had conjured-Mac shook himself.

The centerpiece of the room was a large stone fireplace at the foot of the beds. Mac snuggled deeper into the soft bed and pulled the covers over his. He itched under the cast. How had it gotten wet? He glanced over at the other bed. Jack sprawled across the bed on the other side of the bed. One hand stayed within reach of his Beretta sitting ready on the simple handmade bedside beside him, one sprawled toward the wall. The older man's whole body moved with his snoring. Occasionally he'd snort and dig deeper into the pillow with his cheek. Jack wore his typical black jeans and T Shirt-the only sign they weren't back home.

If they were at Jack's house, he'd be in shorts and a T Shirt, if Mac was lucky. Jack often bragged about sleeping in the nude if he was alone. Mac winced. Usually following that declaration, Jack would give a long soliloquy about the benefits of "letting it all hang out." Mac's face hurt. He frowned reaching up to run his fingers across his aching head. With a startled jolt, he realized he was grinning. Mac wiped at his eyes which did NOT flood with tears-he told himself. Mac let out a long breath and felt his body relax for the first time since he had been caught. Or betrayed. A pain split his forehead like an ax. He shook his head. No, don't go there-

Mac stared into the fire. He loved fire. Some people relaxed watching waves or walking in the woods, listening to birds or whatever. For him it was fire. The lightly crackling light's dance wove a bubble of home around it. It was like a circle of family and friends curling around him. Mac took a deep breath. The slight smokeyness reminded him of S'mores at Bozer's house and Boy Scouts telling stories around the fire after lights out-at least that's what he'd imagined. His two weeks had been all sneaking out playing pranks-or getting revenge for pranks. And explosions-Mac's eyes were heavy. He did love his explosions.

Mac's eyes sank closed. The howling claws scratching across the glass, had to be almost hurricane strength gales, and his dark imagination were kept at bay by the glow, warmth and comfort. Mac grunted as he curled onto his side to ease the weight of his casted shoulder. He let out a long sigh and drifted off into sleep. The pain. Other than that, he sank into the comfort of safety, real safety. He was home. Mac's face stung with his smile.

Jack cracked one eye and saw the smile. He grinned. He waited until Mac was completely out then smoothly sat up. He glanced around the large room automatically touching his Beretta as he scanned for danger. He nodded finding none. He silently stood and padded over to the fire. His knees cracked in time with the fire as he bent and added wook. He knew the effect fire had on his partner, of course. What didn't he know about Mac?

Jack narrowed his eyes as Mac jolted and moaned in his sleep. His momentary illusion of peace dimmed as Mac's head tilted to the side and twitched as if someone had hit him across the face. Faint whimpers and soft murmurs in Urdu signalled the beginning of the kid's battle Jack couldn't fight for him. Jack signed and crossed to the side of the bed. He plopped onto a creaking home-caned chair and leaned forward gently brushing his fingers across Mac's soft fuzz.

"It's ok, brother. You're safe." He whispered. Mac blindly reached out. Jack caught the blond's hand and gently held it. Jack winced as Mac's body spasmed, he cried out and squeezed with all his strength. Jack could feel his fingers go numb. Mac rolled onto his back and tried to lift his other arm. He released Jack and swung and pushed onto his back, raising his hand to push away a long ago attacker.

"Easy, Mac, you're ok." Jack gently stroked the blonde's fuzzy head and wiped away tears with his thumb in a single practiced move. Mac's body jolted and Mac twisted his head aside. Jack closed his eyes as Mac's hand flew toward his throat. Mac shook his head back and forth his mouth moving in a tight rictus of pain and fear. Jack could hear the soft murmurs tone change to panic. Jack growled and shifted until he was sitting side-saddle on Mac's bed. He snagged Mac's good hand pulling it from his throat. The hand in his began to shake and sweat.

Mac's torso swayed as he tried to move his casted arm. Jack cupped Mac's cheek and ran his thumb across the knot on the side of the kid's jaw.

"Easy, brother. It's over." Mac's body jerked and his chin jutted out, his neck muscles tightening. Mac's legs thrashed. Jack shifted his hand and started to rub Mac's chest. Mac jumped startled. Jack shifted and lifted Mac's torso. He slid in until Mac laid curled against him, his head on Jack's chest. Mac moaned his arm snaking around Jack, his head burrowing against Jack. Jack smiled and gently rubbed Mac's back. Mac's body lost his tension. Under his hand, Jack could feel Mac sink back into a solid sleep. Jack felt his own tension ease.

"That's it, kiddo. See, you're home, right?" Mac hummed, then let out a long sigh. Jack felt his own eyes grow heavy. He waited until Mac started snoring before he allowed himself to slide into a light doze.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Nope still not done yet. I saw this week's episode they are foreshadowing Jack's death hard-but I think they might actually not fuck it up. I heard we have three more episodes with him. Sigh. If it's handled well, the blow might be a little easier. I have also heard rumor we're already renewed for next year. I hope so. Anyway, until chapter 10-Pox


	10. Chapter 10

Bozer reached out for the door knob for the billionth time. He closed his eyes and leaned his forehead against the rough hewn wood. He shook his head turned without a sound and once again walked away. Bozer rubbed his eyes. The burning of unshed tears had become a familiar and unwelcome constant in his life over the past month. He swallowed determined not to cry-again. What did he have to cry about? He wasn't the one stolen, beated the hell out of, then hu- Boze clamped his hand over his mouth and ducked into the bathroom shutting the door behind him. He didn't know if vomit or a scream was going to come out, they both burned through his entire body. Bozer closed his eyes falling to his knees over the toilet bowl. His head jerked forward, no puke. He closed the lid and rested his head on it. He flushed the toilet chiding himself for wasting the empty gesture even as he wished he could somehow do the same thing to the pain inside him.

He'd seen Mac in some dark places. But that hole-the memory of the stink, the sight almost had Bozer open the toilet again. Jesus. How could humans do those things to others? To Mac? Bozer curled over his arm on his gut. Mac, sweet, brilliant, goofy Mac. How could anyone ever want to hurt him? Dammit. Bozer angrily swiped at the tears trickling down his cheeks. How did he even have any tears left?

Bozer remembered when Jesse died. He'd stood over his brother's bleeding corpse screaming for the 911 operator to do something. It was surreal, like a movie-to devastating to be real. But then it was. Bozer went out of his head. He'd murdered his brother. Bozer was inconsolable and wouldn't listen to anyone. Then came Mac. Mac didn't ask, didn't push him to explain his feelings, to 'work' things out with others. He showed up at Bozer's door, those blue eyes impossibly sad as if he'd lost a brother instead of Bozer. He'd ask Mama if they could go out to the Lab. He was always polite, a good boy Bozer's mom highly approved of-and her favorite, according to Angus. Bozer felt himself smile.

They'd go out to build the tree house-well, ok it was Mac who did the building, Bozer was just the muscle. It was the only time Bozer had been happy Mac was afraid of heights, if he'd had to haul lumber much higher, he would have given up. Sometimes they talked about TV, Star Wars, sports, sometimes they worked in silence. Either way, Mac was always there. When Boze was ready to talk about the real stuff, the easy friendship made it easy. He remembered reliving the call, the gunshot...he'd bawled like a baby and Mac had held him. A ten-year old kid like him, comforted him more than his own Mama could. That was when Boze knew he had something special in Mac, not just a best friend but a brother.

Years later, he'd learn about Mac's mom, he was there when Mac's dad left. He offered a shoulder to cry on, a consoling ear-but Mac never needed it. No, Bozer amended, he never let himself need it. The only one who could console Mac when he was being torn apart by the pains inside him, was Mama Bozer. She could curl around him with all the mothering skill she'd perfected over six boys and two girls. Bozer sniffed and dipped his face in cool water.

He had been looking for a brother and found one. Mama was looking for a son and found one. Mac had become that magical last piece that repaired the broken puzzle of the Bozer clan and they all loved him. But Mac, he still stayed distant. He always had a shadow, a pain Bozer could never reach. When he'd come back from the army, the darkness had become a churning storm of pain, Bozer was ill equipped to handle. Enter Jack. Most people would think he and Jack would be jealous of each other, fighting to be Mac's one true best friend.

They didn't know what Jack and Boze knew. Mac's heart was big enough for the both of them. Jack was a healing balm for the broken inside parts even Mac didn't know was there. Bozer suspected that Jack had been looking for someone to care for, a father looking for a son? More than that. Like he had with the Bozer's, Mac filled that hole perfectly. They all felt like that about Mac. Without Mac, there was no Phoenix, no team, no family.

Most of the time, the dummy didn't see it. He always focused on solving others problems or making others lives better, he never stopped to consider he had more than two shoulders to carry his pain and crap. He always had to go it alone until he couldn't. It hurt to see him broken by the cruel world who didn't get how much a gift he was. The image of Mac being dragged into the black van hit him like a fist twisting his heart.

He tried to pull in a breath and will the memories away, but he didn't have the practice Mac or Jack had in doing it-yet. He could feel the force of the explosion tossing him over a limo and the hard impact with the cement. Jack standing over him shooting, asking if he was ok. He nodded and Jack took off. Maybe if Jack hadn't wasted time with him he could have saved Mac, or if Bozer hadn't been there, or if-

Bozer jumped at a soft tap on the door. He shook his head and dabbed at his face widening his eyes to hide the tears.

"Boze, are you giving birth?" Riley's sleepy murmur came through the door. Boze slapped on his playa smile and opened the door. Riley was more asleep than awake. She leaned forward with a careful sniff. When the air was clear she frowned up at Bozer squinting against the light.

"What were you doing in here?" Boze faltered trying to come up with a plausible reason. Riley shook her head, "Never mind, I really don't want to know." Bozer felt his face flush with embarrassment.

"Ri! I-"

"Whatever." Riley growled. She put her arm on Bozer's shoulder and shoved him out the room. Boze opened his mouth to complain only to find himself again blocked by an unyielding door.

"How rude." Bozer muttered. He glanced at Mac's door. He wanted to go in, help somehow, but he knew Jack would have Mac calm, probably sleeping, as only Jack could. He thought of the gaunt, bruised, haunted face Mac had come back with...no, he wouldn't wake them up unless he absolutely had to. He looked at his own door. He was sharing a room with Doc Carl. He liked the Doc, but the guy was his age and already had post doc work under his belt. He was even more nerdy than Mac. Instead of physics and engineering and the boyish enthusiasm Mac explained things, it was all latin medical jargon with a glint of evil glee. Bozer was pretty sure the kid would have become a serial killer if he hadn't gone into medicine. Thinking of the pile of medical books sprawled across the bed, open to pictures of surgeries and-Bozer shook his head. No thank you.

He yawned and padded down the stairs to the kitchen. He glanced at the humming clock. It was too early to start breakfast, but it was never too early for coffee. Bozer quickly popped his pod and inhaled rich dark roast. He sipped it and closed his eyes in bliss. It wasn't his hand-pressed, but wasn't bad, not bad at all. He took a sip.

"Hey, Wilt." Bozer jumped with a squawk. He turned angry, only to have his anger drop from him like a jacket.

"Sorry." Sally said slumping into a chair at the table. Bozer didn't hesitate but popped in another dark roast.

"You look like crap." He blurted. Her blue-green eyes growled at him. Boze winced, "Sorry, I didn't mean it like that." She raised an elfin eyebrow.

"And how did you mean it?" Boze could feel the solid floorboards melt under him. Sally looked pale and wan. Dark, deep circles shadowed her eyes giving her a grim, gaunt look. Her red hair was tucked under a hair net with curlers nestled among the auburn locks. She wore a sagging pink robe so worn that great holes showed she was wearing pink flannels dotted with yellow duckies. Giant pink bunny slippers seemed to grow from her ankles. Bozer gulped. He didn't answer only held out her coffee. She inhaled and took a long drink. She let out a contented sigh and smiled at Bozer.

"All is forgiven."

"Good." Boze said with real relief. He'd only ever been in Phoenix medical twice in his life, when he was stabbed and when he'd had alcohol poisoning after a mission involving a monster keg stand. Bozer grimaced at the memory of the hangover. He'd never had a problem with Sally or any of the medical staff, but Bozer had seen what they were capable of...especially Sally. Sally chuckled her eyes taking in his appearance. Unlike him, she had the grace to not say how crappy he looked, "Couldn't sleep?" He asked. Sally nodded up at the ceiling.

"I'm up in the attic and it doesn't exactly muffle the storm." Bozer nodded. He couldn't hear the storm. He accepted her excuse, "You?" Bozer glanced up the stairs. Sally nodded. They sat in silence. The only sound was the distant snap and crackle of the fire in the living room.

"You ever notice how homey a fire makes a room feel." Bozer said, just to say something. Sally chuckled and shook her head. She took a sip then answered Bozer's silent question.

"Fire usually meant Sam had set something on fire." Bozer laughed.

"Too much time with Uncle Mac and Jack." Sally raised an eyebrow. Bozer nodded, "Ok and Uncle Bozer too. How is Sam doing with all this?" Sally's face dropped.

" She wanted to help so bad. She was ready to get all of the kids at her school to search all of LA for Mac."

"He wasn't there." Bozer stared into the rippling glints of his coffee, his mouth was suddenly dry.

"No, but she wanted-had to do something to help." Boze nodded.

"I'm surprised you let her stay at our place." Sally shrugged.

"Someone had to keep an eye on the place and it was the place, Mac-" Sally trailed off putting a hand over her mouth. Bozer's heart hurt at the dampness in the nurse's eyes. He reached over and took her hand in his.

"I feel the same way, Sally." He whispered. Sally nodded then straightened clearing her throat.

"I'm sorry, you'd think it'd hurt less having him back." She said, "I mean I am elated he's back. Not knowing where he was and imagining what those animals were doing to him were horrible, but-"

"The reality is worse," Bozer softly agreed, "Seeing the hurt and lost-I never blew anyone up before."

"That bothers you?" Bozer met Sally's eyes. They were flat and hard.

"Not in the least...other than wishing I could have dragged it out a lot longer." Sally squeezed Bozer's hands. Bozer hadn't realized his hands were shaking. He looked up at Sally, "I can't believe we've become this. I am glad I blew people, real people, up after they took Mac and tortured him. A few years ago, my biggest worry was how to make my green goo monsters look real on film."

"Real monsters are hard." Sally said. Bozer nodded. Sally glanced at the clock. She sat back and rubbed her eyes.

"I've seen him hurt so many times." She murmured. Bozer nodded. Sally started off in the distance for a long minute, "Every time, every single time I think this is it, this is the worst that can happen to him." She took a sip of coffee, "Every time I'm wrong. Every goddamn time." Bozer wasn't surprised by the flash of rage and sadness that flitted through her Mediterranean blue eyes.

"He's here, Sally. He's safe." Sally snorted.

"For now. At least as long as the storm lasts." Bozer frowned.

"You talked to Matty? What's coming?" Sally leaned forward and slid her empty cup into the space between them. Without asking, Bozer stood up and fixed her a new cup. He wasn't surprised by the speed and quality Sally consumed coffee, the entire medical section lived on the stuff.

"Not a what, a who. His name is Orlean Johns. He's on loan from the CIA. He literally wrote the book on breaking prisoners in places like Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo. He and his team-"

"What? Why are they coming? Mac didn't do anything wrong." Sally itched the side of her head and tucked back an errant curl.

"I don't know. Something is going on that Matty is keeping close to her chest."

"Like this island." Bozer said sourly as he made himself a second cup, "Do you know about this place before we got here?"

"No, but there's a lot I don't know."

"I doubt that." Bozer gave Sally the most charming smile he had in his repertoire. Sally leaned back with a chuckle.

"If you were Mac or Jack, I'd think you were buttering me up for something." Bozer laughed.

"No, ma'am." Before Sally could say another word, Matty walked in. She wore the same clothes as she had yesterday. She looked bleary-eyed and tired.

"Is that coffee?" Bozer hopped up and made Matty a cup. She climbed onto a chair and leaned forward holding her head in her hands using her fingers to massage her scalp. She groaned. Sally and Bozer shared a worried look.

"Matty-"

"I'm fine." She pushed hair out of her face then sipped coffee for a long minute. She sighed, "Really, I'm fine. I'm just trying to find a way out of this, but-"

"Out of what?" Matty eyed the worried pair over the lid of her cup. She set down the coffee reaching a decision. They'd all know soon anyway.

"The storm will most likely be gone tomorrow, then the interrogators will be here."

"We were just talking about that, why interrogators?" Matty's face darkened.

"I don't know." Bozer felt his gut churn. He hated that phrase coming from Matty almost as much as he did saying it, "There's something going on bigger than we know about it. There have been rumblings that the Saudi Prince's death was an assassination." Sally leaned forward her teeth grinding.

"They think Mac is an assassin?" Matty shrugged.

"I don't know how they even know who he is, who we are. I've been cashing in every favor I can think of to find out who is holding Johns's leash these days, but I can't find out anything."

"Who is this Orlean dude?" Matty looked like she'd swallowed something sour.

"He's a nasty piece of work." She turned away, "I've seen him work-we can't -absolutely can not let that man anywhere near Mac in the state he's in right now."

"Jack won't let him."

"Whoever's behind this knows that." Sally and Bozer shared a worried look.

"What do you mean, Matty?" Matty sucked her coffee dry.

"I mean Johns isn't coming alone and he's not going to stop until he gets to Mac."

"And if we fight them-"

"Then Phoenix is done and we're all off to matching cells in some black hole no one's ever heard of before."

"Shit."

"Yep."


	11. Chapter 11

"Mac?" The soft voice stretched across the vast horizon around him. Mac moaned as awareness slowly seeped back. He hurt, his shoulder was casted, he was-Mac's brain froze and he frowned.

"Mac, I hate to wake you up, kiddo, but you have to eat." Jack. Mac blearily opened his eyes. A figure stood over him. Everything slammed back. He skittered back with a cry of alarm and fear. A familiar callused hand rubbing his back helped him transition to wakefulness. Mac took a long breath. He felt as if pounds of pain and memory packed onto his body. He closed his eyes fighting the urge to cry and had no idea why.

"Mac? You wake yet?"

"No." Mac growled. He squinted up at Jack when the older man chuckled, "I hate you."

"I know, c'mon brother, the others are waiting." Jack stood and helped Mac sit upright. He steadied the younger man while the world did its spinny thing. When he was at least conscious, Jack left him sitting on the side of his bed to get some clothes. Mac frowned and looked down surprised to see he was naked except a pair of boxers and the cast on his shoulder. Mac crossed his legs feeling chilled and vulnerable. He stared at the room. It was the same as he remembered from...Mac frowned and rubbed his head moaning. When the hell did he get here? Where was here?

Mac rewound his confused memories and shook his head letting out a frustrated breath. He remembered a barn. He knew they were on the island. He wasn't sure why? Mac held his head in his good hand. His head felt like an ax chopped through the middle of it and boiling lava was going to explode outwards.

"Here we go, bro." Mac bolted upright panic slapping his heart into overdrive. Jack paused and slowed down, "Sorry, bud." Mac took a deep breath and shook his head. He managed a watery smile.

"No, it's ok. I'm just…" Mac waved his hand and looked away biting his lip and stubbornly refusing to give into tears.

"Hey, easy brother, you know it's gonna take time, right?" Mac nodded but still didn't look up. He knew Jack's kind concern would undo him. Mac cleared his throat.

"Boze sewed this up for you, he thought it'd be easier to get into and out of." Jack said. Mac looked up relieved to see Jack let Mac's flood of emotions go. Jack held out a black hoodie. Mac touched it and marvelled at its thickness and soft fabric. One arm was missing but instead of a gaping hole an elastic circled the open place allowing his cast to pass through, but staying snug around it. It was brilliant and worked perfectly. Mac sat catching his breath as Jack knelt in front of him and zipped it up. Mac felt humbled by the care Bozer had put into the shirt. It fit perfect, of course, and seemed to be a Bozer-hug wrapping him in warmth and comfort. Mac sniffed and wiped at his face. He wasn't surprised to find a couple of tears had escaped. He turned away when Jack looked up at him.

"Ok, kiddo, here we go." Jack steadied Mac as he helped him into sweatpants. We're getting too good at this. Mac thought ruefully.

"You know, bud, we're getting too good at this." Jack said. Mac laughed. Jack looked at him funny. Mac shook his head. He shuffled toward the door. He paused in mid step turning back to his partner.

"You said the others are waiting? Waiting for what?" Mac felt unease creep up his spine as Jack let out a long sigh and braced as if they were about to fight.

"You. We're gonna have a little supper." Mac felt his blood sink to the floor, "Whoa, easy pard." Jack caught him and eased him to sitting on the bed. Mac leaned forward his body shaking with sensory overload as his brain savaged him with memory. _Feet on his arms...head jerked back...jaw opened...foul..._ Mac gagged. Jack rubbed his back and waited. Mac eventually got it under control. He sat up eyes closed.

"Jack-"He whispered.

"I know, brother. I get it, but you have to eat."

"I…" Mac looked over at Jack his face wet with tears, "They…" Jack gently folded Mac into a loose hug.

"I know, kiddo. But it isn't them, you're safe, we're all here, ok?" Mac looked down and nodded. Jack let go and went to get Mac a washcloth. Mac sat shaking; his hand grabbed the bedding with a white-knuckled fist. He took long easy breaths. Jack entered more slowly and quieter. Mac looked up gratefully and wiped his face with the cool cloth.

"Ready?" Mac looked and attempted to smile.

"As I'm going to be."

"That's the spirit." Jack paused and frowned.

"What?"

"There's a flight of stairs, I'm going to have to-" Mac narrowed his eyes and pushed himself to his feet.

"I'll make it." He growled. Jack stepped back with a smile.

"Yessir." He said. Mac grinned and shuffled to the door. No matter what he said, he was glad Jack stayed close and kept a hand on his back as they slowly made their way to the stairway. Mac was out of breath and dizzy as he looked down. He clutched the hand carved railing in his hand and paused with eyes closed. Jack waited without comment. If the idea of letting Jack carry him down the cliff in front of him didn't freak him out so much, Mac would have been relieved to be carried down the seemingly endless mountain in front of him.

"Mac?" Jack murmured. Mac nodded but didn't open his eyes. Clinging to the railing he slowly stepped forward. One step at a time, he told himself.

"That's it, one step at a time." Jack echoed. Mac was sweating and trembling by the time he took the last step and almost fell forward trying to go down another. He opened his eyes and turned. He made it! He really did it. He grinned at Jack who grinned back. In the grand scheme of things, going down a flight of stairs wasn't much, but he felt like he'd climbed Mt. Everest. Mac wobbled in step with Jack and was puffing by the time he reached a dining room.

Mac's face ached with his widening grin.

"There he is!" Bozer said, keeping his voice at a lower volume than he obviously wanted to use. Jack stepped back. Mac leaned into the Bozer hug not sure he'd ever felt anything better.

"Thanks for the shirt, man." Mac said. Bozer's smile lit the room.

"Mac, you look a hell of a lot better than the last time I saw you!" Riley said gently embracing him. Mac frowned trying to remember when that was. He vaguely remembered being on the plane. He shook his head. It didn't matter, he was here with his family. He kissed her lightly on the cheek.

"Thanks for coming to get me, Ri." Riley leaned back her eyes shining with tears. She nodded. He shook hands with Doc Carl, received a motherly hug from Izzy, then he paused. Sally eyed him with a gleam in her eyes he could never understand. For once he didn't care, he was so happy to be home. He leaned forward and hugged her. She pulled him close and kissed him on the cheek.

"Here, Blondie, sit down before you fall down." Mac half turned with a wobble. Luckily Sally still held his side and was able to keep him upright.

"Yeah." Mac said breathlessly. He felt as if all of them carried him to the chair. He leaned forward and rubbed his face. His hand trembled and sweat ran down his back. A familiar hand brushed his cheek. He looked up into Matty's face. She smiled at him, but didn't say anything. She didn't have to. Mac leaned forward and pulled her into a hug. He leaned forward and closed his eyes taking and letting out a long breath.

"Thank you." He said as he pulled back. Matty rolled her eyes.

"Time to eat already, I'm starving." Matty said, but not before giving Mac a smile and nod.

Mac's gut sunk. He'd forgotten about the food. Jack helped him turn and sit straight against the table. Mac took in the table. Place settings for everyone. Soup bowls. Mac stared at the table cloth. It was simple white cloth. He swallowed and bit his lip. Not there, not there, not there...Mac could feel the others watching, not knowing what to say.

"Here we go!" Bozer bellowed. Mac flinched and jumped back his heart pounding. Jack, sitting beside him, of course, put a hand on his shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze. Mac didn't think any of the others noticed. Boze set down a huge bowl. Mac couldn't smell anything through his broken nose, but from the other's sniffs of bliss, he knew it must smell wonderful.

Here, not there. Mac kept telling himself. He closed his eyes and turned away as Bozer ladled soup into his bowl. Mac nodded his thanks and Bozer moved around the table. Mac's mouth watered and his stomach growled like a starving lion, but when Mac opened his eyes he saw only the filth he'd been forced to eat. He closed his eyes and turned away.

A calloused hand on his shoulder stopped his blind flight. He looked up at Jack.

"Jack…" Jack leaned forward and put the hand on the back of his neck.

"I know, brother, but this isn't then, keep telling yourself that. Think of being home, here, with us...we gotcha, right?" Mac nodded and turned back. He glanced around the table. The others tried to hide their concern and worry, but Mac could feel their pity like a choking noose. He cleared his throat and nodded.

"Slow and steady, Angus." Izzy said softly. Mac jumped as the older woman leaned over his shoulder and filled a glass with iced water. Mac couldn't stop himself, he snagged it and took a deep gulp downing half the glass in one go. Mac broke off coughing, "Did you not hear slow?" Izzy chided. Mac's face burned. Izzy refilled the glass; the others laughed. Izzy chuckled and patted him on the shoulder as she moved on to Jack's glass. Mac cleared his throat then took another sip, a slower sip. He closed his eyes and smiled in bliss. It was so clear, cool, and crisp. After another longer sip he set down the water and picked up the spoon.

He faced the soup. It wasn't Bozer's usual chicken noodle soup, but something thicker almost a stew. Mac picked up his spoon and rolled it over and over in his hand. The others chatted softly around him. Here, not there, here, not there...Mac leaned in and touched the edge of the bowl with his spoon he pulled back turning away. _Burning, choking, punched have to swallow, can't breath..._ tears burned his eyes. He set down his spoon and wiped sweat off his face with the napkin. He glanced at the others. They were all involved in conversations but Mac could _feel_ them ignore his struggles. He was grateful, and frustrated. It's soup, fucking soup, stop making a production of it...Mac wrung the napkin in a white knuckled fist. He shook with the need to lash out or run. He gritted his teeth and forced his grip to relax. He took another sip of water. Mac grimaced as his shaking spilled water down his front. No one seemed to notice. He appreciated their studied inattention to his lapses. He took a breath and picked up his spoon again. Here, not there, here, not there…

"Oh, Mac," Mac jumped at Izzy's voice. He looked up surprised. The older woman had an amused glint in her calm eyes, "I think Sally should explain why she let Sam stay at your house...alone." Mac's eyes snapped up and he whirled on Sally.

"My house?" Sally glared at Izzy who offered a saintly smile as she daintily sipped her soup. Sally crossed her arms.

"Someone had to stay there." Mac knew what he had around the house, of course, and he knew what he could make out of it. He could only imagine what a smart girl like Sam could make. And her hero was Jack?

"Alone?" Mac squeaked. Mac jumped at Jack's hand on his shoulder.

"Easy, kiddo, I let Nick and Nellie stay with her to protect your hoard."

Mac leaned back and shot Jack a half watt glare.

"Hoard?"

"What else do you call all that crap you got stuffed into every nook and cranny?"

"Now Jack, Mac knows what he has and it's organized." Bozer came to Mac's defense. Mac absently lifted his spoon and sipped his soup barely tasting it.

"You have to say that, you live there. Half that hoard is yours."

"At least they don't have weapons they find from missions tucked in every nook and cranny." Riley chimed in.

"Or Telly Savalas." Mac added. Jack shot him a glare. Mac smiled.

"What's wrong with Telly Savalas?" Izzy asked. All eyes turned to the older woman in surprise. She smiled her eyes far away,

"He was a gentle man, and smelled of musk and denim-"

"Gran!" Izzy raised an eyebrow at Doc Carl.

"What?"

"You knew Telly?" Matty asked. Izzy sighed but didn't answer. Mac laughed with the others and looked down surprised when his spoon scraped the bottom of the bowl. He gaped at it and smiled. He looked up grinning. The others giggled. Bozer jumped up.

"Now that you've been a good boy, I got a treat for you." Mac looked alarm. His belly felt full but churned as if it hadn't decided to accept the surprise meal or not. Bozer returned and set a small hot fudge rocky road sundae in front of him. Mac smiled accepting the spoon Boze gave him. He stared at the treat his mouth watering. He edged the cherry to the side and took a small swipe of whipped cream. He closed his eyes and almost purred. He may not have noticed the taste of the soup, but this...this was heaven.

"I don't know why you do that?" Mac looked over at Jack surprised.

"Do what?" He said around a bite of ice cream.

"Move the cherry aside, you eat it first." Jack proved his point by popping his in his mouth.

"Jack, that's ridiculous." Matty said around a scoop of strawberry ice cream.

"They why do they put it on top."  
"To make it look good." Bozer said sitting down behind a three scoop neapolitan banana split.

"And the juice from the cherry mixes with the melting whipped cream." Izzy suggested dipping her spoon in a bowl of plain chocolate.

Mac tuned out the rest of their dispute about the merits of cherry placement and whipped cream to iced cream ratios.

"Oh great! There's another one." Jack's complain brought his attention back to the table. Mac followed Jack's spoon to see Riley pull a cherry stem out of her mouth it was tied in a knot. Mac smiled.

"I told you it wasn't weird." He said. Jack rolled his eyes.

"It is weird, and disturbing."

"Really?" Izzy said pulling a likewise tied cherry stem out of her mouth.

"Really?" Matty and Sally said following suit. Jack gaped at them then eyed Bozer and Doc Carl who shrugged.

"I've never been able to do that."  
"Me neither." Jack sat back and stared at Mac thoughtfully.

"Ok, maybe it isn't weird, maybe it's just you." Mac rolled his eyes then rubbed his forehead as the ax seemed to dig deeper into his skull. He set down his spoon and fought a yawn. He was exhausted. A hand on his shoulder steadying him, made him aware that he'd wobbled to the side.

"Tired, huh?" Jack said. Softly. Mac yawned and nodded. He glanced at the rest of the table with a genuine smile.

"Thanks guys, for this, for...thanks." His voice broke off into a mumble as he had a hard time keeping his eyes open. He was dimly aware of tumbling toward Jack who caught him easily.

"C'mon, kiddo, time for a nap." Mac hummed trying to help the older man as he pulled Mac up to his feet.

"Here we go, Sally has the couch set up." Doc Carl said supporting Mac on the other side. Mac's head drooped and he focused on walking, or attempting to, between them. He was relieved he wouldn't have to climb up the stairs. He had a vague impression of a warm crackling fire, and a perfect cushy couch embracing every corner of his body. The two men straightened him and covered him with a soft blanket. Mac hummed his thanks not having the energy to open his eyes again.

"I am super proud of you, brother." Jack murmured. Mac sighed feeling a familiar hand brush through his short fuzz of hair. It felt weird, but Mac melted into sleep anyway.


	12. Chapter 12

"No!" Mac cried out as he pushed back into the couch. Jack grimaced and rubbed Mac's back. Mac calmed and drifted off again.

"Still having nightmares." Matty said softly as she handed Jack a mug of coffee. Jack rubbed his face and fought a yawn. He nodded as he inhaled the coffee.

"They're getting worse." Jack turned as Mac moaned and pulled at the covers his head moving as if he'd gotten punched. Mac stilled again. Matty opened her mouth to say something but broke off when Bozer stood hesitantly at the door to the kitchen.

"What is it?" Jack felt his heart drop at the serious expression on Bozer's face.

"You two need to see this, I'll stay with Mac." Jack and Matty shared a worried glance. Jack handed Bozer the coffee as the younger man slid onto the stool by the couch.

Riley sat at the dining room table amid a pile of wires and computer gear. She looked up. Jack didn't like the pallor his girl had or the fear in her eyes.

"What do we have, Riley?" Matty asked.

"I boosted my computer signal to poke through the storm and we have trouble coming our way in a big way." She turned her laptop around. Jack frowned. It looked like she was playing electric battleship. He looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

"Are those-"

"Ships, a lot of ships." Jack and Matty shared a worried glance.

"From where?"

"I don't know. None of them have transponders. I think they're refurbished destroyers." Jack's eyes widened and he whistled. Matty narrowed her eyes.

"How long before they get here?"

"They're big enough they aren't slowed down by the storm, I think they'll be in range to send landing crafts in five maybe six hours."

"Son of a bitch." Jack growled. He turned and glared at the wall. He looked down at Matty, "They're coming for Mac." Matty nodded.

"Why? Riley asked.

"That's a good question." Matty sighed, "The only way they could know he's here is if-"

"Johns," Jack gritted his teeth. He cracked his knuckles.

"But why are they after Mac? What does he know?" Riley asked.

"He must have seen something or someone while he was being held captive." Matty said.

"Or when he was captured." Jack mused crossing his arms.

"What are you talking about?" Jack let out a long breath.

"Something's been bothering me about when Mac was taken."  
"What?"

 **DAMMAM, SAUDI ARABIA 42 days ago.**

Mac stepped out of the limo and took off his shades. He scanned the busy street. The tall buildings seemed to hunch over the narrow streets. The buildings were beige cement, blocky and piled on top of each other. Mac thought it looked a bit like Cleveland. Bumper to bumper traffic blared around them as more than a million people went around them intent on their own business.

"This way." Jack said. He shifted his shoulders in his all black suit tailored to hide his Beretta. Mac glanced at Boze dressed as their chauffeur.

"Keep an eye out." Boze nodded. Mac ducked in the back of the limmo and held out a hand. Riley elegantly unfolded in a snappy blue pant suit, "Ready?" Mac asked. Riley smiled and held up her small blue sequined clutch.

"I have everything I need." Mac nodded and followed Jack across the busy street. He ignored the Arabic slurs and horns.

Mac pulled off his shades as they stepped into the cool lobby. He fought the urge to dab at his face. Security waved them down and checked with upstairs. After taking Jack's Beretta, they let the Phoenix trio through to the security elevators. The ride up in the gold walled elevator was crowded with the two large guards and silent. The guards stayed in the elevator as the trio left. Jack paused and looked at Mac surprised.

"Problem?" Mac asked softly.

"We're going to see a Prince, right?"

"A minor one, but yeah." Mac smirked as he waited. Jack shrugged.

"Just thought we'd be going somewhere more...royal, I guess." Mac glanced at Riley who rolled her eyes.

"C'mon." Mac said as he led the way across gold and red carpet.

"Should be a palace...just saying." Jack mumbled behind him. Mac could understand where his partner was coming from. The lobby looked more like a law office than the hang out for a Saudi prince. Mac stopped at the front desk and showed the bored lady his credentials. She nodded and lifted a phone.

Mac knew enough Arabic to know she was talking to the next ring of security. Mac turned and shared a look with Jack. Mac nodded. Jack stood at loose attention as if he were nothing more than muscle. Riley sidled up to Mac and curled around his arm as if she were his arm candy.

A tall elegant black-haired man with short curly hair walked out to them flanked by a battalion of security and scurrying assistants. The man dressed in a suit made from an expensive Italian silk that hung from him perfectly. The man stopped and eyed Mac for a long minute. He smiled and held out a hand.

"I am so happy to see you." He finally said. Mac bowed a little.

"Your Majesty."

"Dave, please." Mac raised a surprised eyebrow. Dave chuckled and waved Mac ahead of him, "So, Mr. MacGyver, how can I help you." Mac made a show of letting Riley go and nodded at Jack to take position at the door of a conference room. Mac waited until the door was shut before he spoke.

"Dave, the US had plans for a nuclear firing system taken." Dave sat back and glared at Mac.

"I no longer run in those circles."

"I know, but-"

"You think I might have fingers in old pies?"

"Exactly." Dave leaned back and steepled his fingers. He studied Mac

a long minute then leaned forward.

"I might have some old friends willing to visit me for old times, what I need to know-"

"What's in it for you?"

"Exactly." Dave leaned forward his voice turning to a gruff purr. Mac braced himself and spoke carefully.

"Ok, here I go." Riley said over the comm. Jack didn't move only nodded at Riley. Riley pouted loudly and started to complain like an irritated Kardashian. Jack smiled watching it grate on the security. Finally the larger of the pair suggested Riley return to the lobby. She flounced her hair and nodded at Jack. Jack glanced at the door and gritted his teeth. He hated leaving Mac, but of the two Riley's was in the most danger. Once they were out of sight they slipped down the empty halls avoiding as many as they could. There were two guards at the door of the main server room. Jack grabbed Riley around the waist and put on a stupid grin. Riley instantly picked up on the ruse and giggled leaning on Jack's shoulder as she stumbled.

"Hey there, I was wondering if you could help me, see my daughter-" Jack broke off as soon as he was in striking distance. Fast as a rattler he jabbed the blade of his hand into one's throat. The man dropped clutching his throat gurgling. Jack spun in the same move and side kicked the other man's knee breaking it with a loud pop. Before the man could shout in pain, Jack grabbed his jaw and crown of his head, lifted and twisted. Another one down. Jack turned his back to the door and mule kicked it open. He yanked out his Beretta and nodded at Riley. Riley pulled some electric doodad out of her purse and crossed into the room. Jack grabbed the two guards and dragged them into the small room. He stepped out to the hall and closed the door behind him. He stood with arms crossed, his Beretta hidden from view.

"Mac, Riley's in. Things are going to be getting busy so-" The crackle of gunfire over the com interrupted him. Jack's heart started pounding with worry, "Mac?"

"Get out to the-" Mac's voice broke off with a small whump of pain. Jack looked up to see a small squad of security running toward him. Jack didn't hesitate he brought up his gun and drilled all five. He opened the door ducking to the side of it as more security huddled down the hall shooting HK G3P4. He frowned. Unusual guns.

"Mac?" Jack asked ducking out and firing. He missed two, scored one bullseye and one gut wound, "Riley-"

"I got it!" Riley yelled brandishing a drive. Jack took it and tucked it in a pocket.

"Mac?" Jack tried again letting the group of thugs at the end of the hall bang away at the wall.

"Jack, get out of the building, there's a bomb-" Mac huffed short of breath. Jack's body flinched when the kid yelped in pain.

"Mac, we're coming-"

"NO, Jack you have to get the drive out...I got this." The tone in his voice didn't fill Jack with a lot of confidence. Jack swore under his breath. He looked over at Riley. She tossed her shoes off and reached under the slit of her dress to pull out a Sig P226. Jack grinned.

"That's my girl! Ready?" Riley offered a shaky smile and took position on the other side of the door. As they'd practiced a hundred times at Phoenix they leap-frogged down the hall alternating their fire so they kept up a steady stream of bullets. Their opponents were mowed down like grass.

"Boze, we're coming out hot." Jack growled.

"I figured that." Boze said sounding anxious as if he were inside taking fire.

"Mac-"

"RUN!" Mac screamed at them. Jack whirled. Mac cleared the elevators and sprinted after them. Jack didn't like the blood splattered across the front of his partner.

"Mac!" Jack couldn't hide his alarm as more security sprawled across the open area behind them and fired. Mac cried out and went down. Jack took a step toward him. Mac bounced to his feet and ran with only a slight limp. Jack grabbed his elbow when Mac caught up to him. Mac offered a half-encouraging smile. With Riley covering them, they reached the doors.

"C'mon!" Bozer yelled. The limo sprawled across all of traffic. The bellow of horns all around them echoed over the canyon of buildings. Bozer held the back seat open. Riley dove in. Bozer turned. Jack paused in midstep. Mac took an extra second to tie the doors shut with his belt. He stumbled as he turned and moved slower with a more noticeable limp.

Jack and Boze both moved to help Mac. They were flattened against the limo as the upper floors of the building vaporized into a fireball chunks of cement, glass, and steel raining down. Mac ducked as he hobbled faster.

"Go!" He yelled. Jack rounded the back of the limo to hop in the passenger's door. Bozer moved to hop into the driver's seat and the world exploded.

Jack gasped and blinked blood out of his forehead. His hearing was gone. He looked over at Bozer who'd been thrown over the limo and lay unconscious beside him. Under the car Jack could see Mac had collapsed in the center of the road. He lay unmoving face down a sheen of blood covering his face.

"Ma-" Jack gasped trying to get his body to move. None of his muscles would follow his commands. He watched helplessly as a van squealed around the limo and burning cars on the sidewalk. It screeched to a stop. Jack watched as military boots and tan combat pants closed around Mac. His friend's body was lifted. Jack managed to roll onto his side, but he'd lost his Beretta.

"MAC!" He screamed as the black van vanished in a puff of stinking rubber.

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Jack rubbed at his eyes and sniffed as he finished talking. Matty and Riley stared at the doorway leading into the living room. In the silence that followed they could hear Mac moaning and Bozer offering soft reassurances.

"He was the target." Jack said. Matty nodded. They had figured that out as they hunted for the missing Phoenix agent.

"Him and the Prince." Matty said her lips pursed.

"What are you thinking boss?" Riley asked.

"There has to be a connection between Johns and the Pakistani terrorists."

"I'm less worried about that than I am about what the hell we're going to do when they get here." Jack said crossing his arms.

"I called a friend at the Pentagon, there is a flotilla of US Navy ships coming. We just have to hold on until then."

"And how are we supposed to do that? If this Johns guy is crooked-" Riley said shaking her head. Jack broke into a grin and leaned forward. He looked at Matty.

"You said smugglers owned this island." Matty narrowed her eyes.

"Yeah. What's rattling around in that empty head of yours." Jack's face shifted to a mixture of worry and deadly anger. He tilted his head toward the living room.

"I say we do a little smuggling of our own."


	13. Chapter 13

Mac liked Dave. He stood up to shake the man's hand. Dave flashed a row of perfect teeth.

"I'm glad we reached an accord."

"Me too, we-" Mac whirled when the door opened. He had a glimpse of the head of the prince's security stride in an automatic rifle in his fists. Mac reacted with reflexes that had kept him alive. He tackled the prince to the floor. Dave looked at Mac with wide frightened eyes.

"Stay down." Mac hissed his eyes roving the room for a weapon. The loud stutter of the autofire rang his skull and left his ears tingling almost to the point of hurting. He crawled under the table dragging the prince with him. The prince's private guards dropped around them like bloody boulders. Mac was a little surprised bullets didn't pop through the table. With a chill Mac realized the man wasn't shooting at the table. Mac was grateful; being shot sucks and the particle board of the table wouldn't be much protection against the 7.5mm NATO rounds screaming around the room. Mac's gut sunk with dread. That meant they wanted the pair alive. Shit, shit, shit.

"Mac?" By the tightness of his partner's voice Mac knew his partner had been talking for awhile. Jack didn't sound under stress, of course when did Jack ever sound stressed in the heat of battle? There was a part of Jack that thrived in a fight, a cold calculating Delta. Sometimes that side scared Mac.

"Jack, get out of the-" Mac whumped as meaty hands grabbed his ankles and dragged him out from under the table. Mac rolled onto his back and kicked the man in the face. The man growled. Mac had pissed him and his friends off. Blows rained down on him. The world became a smear of blood and pain.

The next thing Mac knew he was tied up across from Dave. His eyes widened at the enormous bomb counting down on the table. The leader of their attackers sat casually at the end of the table sneering at Dave. Men wearing uniforms Mac didn't recognize fanned out around the table. Their faces were hard, their eyes heartless. They seemed to be captivated by the repartee the pair across the table were engaged in. Timer read 5 minutes. OK, Mac thought, first things first.

Mac ducked his head as if he were still unconscious. He was handcuffed. Mac almost tutted. They weren't even double locked. He twisted his wrists then pulled down and to the side. One more tug and...The handcuffed made a soft snap then fell to the floor. Before they hit, Mac was in motion. He hopped back grabbing the back of the chair. Putting everything he had behind it he swung it up catching the nearest soldier across the side. The others recuperated fast. Mac grunted as a bullet nicked his side. He dove long ending in a tight roll. He fisted the fallen gun and stood slamming the butt into the next guy's nose. Hands grabbed him from behind. Mac pushed off the table sending them both backwards. His attacker cushioned his fall to the floor with a whumph. Mac rolled away stomping the guy's neck. He winced at the snap. Mac whirled his elbow up and back catching a little weaselly soldier in the face. The man reared back his nose spurting blood. Mac had a glimpse of the leader bearing down on him then something slammed into the side of his head…

Mac woke up slumped over the table. He moaned. Everything swished around him and had double edges. He frowned as he scanned the room. He was untied. No bad guys. His mouth went dry. The prince sat across from him as he did during their meeting with the addition of a bloody hole where his face used to be. Shit. Shit. Shit. Mac gulped. Timer read 30 seconds. Mac focused on it rubbing his face. Absently he noted his hand covered in blood.

Mac frowned. There was no way he was going to be able to disarm it in time despite the primitive rigging on it. Semtex. Not good. Mac whirled and dashed out of the room. The bomb was big enough to decapitate the building and vaporize anyone in it. The halls were an obstacle course of dead bodies. Mac nimbly hopped around the bloody limbs. What the uniformed men lacked in technique they made up for with enthusiasm. Mac winced as he almost tripped over a guy's intestine.

Mac reached the elevator. He stabbed the elevator button. Stairs would be faster and safer, but he didn't have time to look for them. It dinged. Mac hopped in and pushed for the lobby. He took a second to listen to his com, nothing. Mac felt dread unsettle his gut.

"Jack?" Nothing. "JACK?" Nothing. Shit. Shit. Shit. The door dinged open. Mac sprinted out. He let out a breath of relief when he saw his partner's stand beside the door. Almost there, almost-

Mac cried out as a bullet kicked his leg out from under him. He glanced over his shoulder. Panicked security, not soldiers. Mac bounced to his feet and limped as fast as he could toward the door. Jack mouthed words at him, took his elbow and propelled him toward the door. Mac heard the blast of horns then they were out of time…

Mac was in a van. Surrounded. Not good. He was alone.

"You are everything I heard about and more, MacGyver." Mac's blood froze. They knew who he was. A surprise blow send the world away…

He was in a chair under an achingly bright light. He hurt. Blood was splattered the floor and wall around him. He could smell urine. He hoped it was his own. They came from the darkness and surrounded him. The beating was the worst Mac ever had, but not the worst to come…

He was dragged across stone that smelled and felt foul. He didn't remember them asking anything. Not good. They didn't want info. What did they want? Mac's head fell. Everything was fuzzy. By the acoustics he could tell they were underground. The walls were phyllite, probably gneiss. Not helpful. Mac moaned as they drew up to a steel door. His eyes widened as he took in the blackness beyond.

No, not that. Please. Mac had no idea if he said that out loud or not. It didn't matter. The claws holding him shoved him into the tiny hole. Mac thought the slamming of the impenetrable door was the worst sound in the world. He was wrong. The silence that rang his head. The deafening, endless silence was worse. And complete blindness. Left alone with his pain, Mac curled up and shivered more with terror than cold, although the dampness clung to him like a layer of ice. But the silence. He had no idea how long it took for his brain to conjure the monsters. They started as shadows. Movements, attacks that made his heart pound and his sweat cold. He shivered. He could feel fingers, hands run along his body, his brain. Jack will come. Jack will come…

Then the nightmares came. Different enough for each to cut deeper than the last. Jack isn't dead. He told himself, even as he saw his friend mowed down laying among the broken bodies. And they had Riley. Phoenix was a maze of death. His family screamed for him, then died long and hard. Over and over and over without pause or interruption. Jack will come. Jack will come. But he didn't. Madness beckoned. His skin boiled like acid, cold brutal acid tearing away flesh layer by burning layer until he was an exposed wire.

The door opened. Mac almost screamed with relief as he tumbled toward the dim light. He almost kissed the slimy floor. Then he was moving. Pain. Much more pain. When he could stand no more, they dragged him down the long narrow hall to the small black hole. Mac screamed trying to fight. Please, no. This time he knew he whimpered it out loud. The first crack. The cruel thud of the steel door. Mac's blood mixed with his tears. He curled up and rocked. He squeezed his eyes shut. Jack will come. Jack will come. Jack will come. But he didn't.

JACK! Mac screamed over and over. He had no idea if it was loud or only inside his head…

"JACK!" Hands, fists, boots...the boots were always first. Mac screamed again.

"Mac! MAC!" Mac opened his eyes; his chest burned. A fist of ice squeezed him too tight. He couldn't breathe. The shadow above him slipped into focus. It was the one thing he needed more than air.

"Jack!" Mac cried as he sprung forward and clung to his best friend/ brother/ father. Mac shook and tried to climb inside his partner. His fists balled Jack's T-shirt reassuring Mac this wasn't just another dream. He wheezed in a guppy breath. His chest hurt and his muscles vibrated like he was in a blender. He could feel Jack saying something. Mac didn't care. He didn't care. His body thrashed with sobs torn from deep in his bones. He was cold, so cold...

"Ja...ck." He managed, barely. Jack. Jack. Jack. He repeated it like a mantra. He had no idea if it broke free or remained strangled inside him.

"...shh...easy, easy I got you...you're safe…" The words were rays of sun tearing apart the blackness. Mac managed to suck in a shaky breath.

"Ja-" He broke off feeling dizzy.

"C'mon, brother, you gotta breathe for me...you can do it…" Mac squeezed his eyes shut in pain as he forced in a gasp. It hurt, then felt better. It took awhile, but Mac's body finally fell into rhythm. Jack. He squeaked.

Jack looked over Mac's head to meet the eyes of the team. They had been talking, Boze had yelled for Jack, then there had been a sickening thump. When he'd run into the living room, Jack's heart stuttered to a stop. Mac writhed and screamed as if he were in flames. His eyes were open but nowhere near the house. Jack held Mac tighter willing away the shakes and chill he felt coming from his kid. He gently rubbed Mac's head as he rocked the blonde. He made soothing sounds as he softly coached Mac from his panic attack/ nightmare/ flash back.

Every second passed like a century scraping by. Mac let up on the strangling clinging. Jack began to breathe himself as he let Mac go by stages. Mac hiccuped and slurped in shaky guppy breaths by the time he'd eased away from Jack. Mac kept his eyes averted and swiped his nose with his good arm. Riley handed Jack a damp towel and the other three tiptoed from the room. As bad as that had been for Mac, it would be infinitely worse if Mac knew anyone else other than Jack saw him at such a weak moment.

"Here, brother." Jack handed Mac the rag. Mac took it with a quick note of thanks. Here it comes, Jack thought sadly. Mac pulled away and kept his eyes averted from Jack's. Jack gave him some distance and waited silent. Mac wiped his face then took in the room-all of the room. Mac scanned every brick on the fireplace, every knot in the wood of the paneling and every fiber of the carpet. His breathing slowed. Mac wiped his face again and took a deep breath. He turned his back to the couch. Jack turned until he sat beside Mac, close but not touching. Jack smiled as Mac slid closer until they were. Jack knew what Mac needed. He put an arm around his boy. Mac leaned his head on Jack's shoulder and closed his eyes.

"Sorry." Mac whispered. Jack rolled his eyes, but bit his tongue.

"It's ok, brother. It's gonna be rough for awhile." Mac let out a resigned sigh, "Wanna talk?" Mac shook his head. Jack nodded and pulled the kid closer. Mac relaxed until he was softly snoring in Jack's ear. Jack leaned his head back on the couch and straightened his legs. Might as well get some rest himself while he could.

A soft skuff brought Jack awake and ready to fight. Doc Carl crouched in front of them just out of reach. Jack smiled. He had no idea how many times he'd laid the young doctor out before he got the idea to keep out of Jack's danger bubble.

"Hey, Doc." Jack whispered. He glanced at his watch. They'd slept half an hour. Jack yawned. He felt well rested. He glanced down at his charge. Mac was pale, his bruises were yellowing and some of the swelling went down. He was dead to the world. Jack gently shook Mac. For a heart stopping minute Mac remained limp in his arms.

"Mac, wakey, wakey." Mac's eyes slowly opened. Jack's heart broke as he watched Mac go from oblivious comfort, to horrible remembrance and pain, until flaring into panic. Mac gasped and jumped away his wild eyes taking in his surroundings, his body hunched ready to receive a painful beating.

"Easy, Mac. It's ok." Jack glanced at Doc Carl. The doctor was a marvel. He wasn't much older than Mac was, but carried experience like a thick coat. Even Mac felt safe under the man's care. That was saying something. Mac took in a deep breath and Jack could feel Mac relax. Jack pulled his arm away. Mac composed himself and wiped his face with the towel.

"Matty wanted me to check you over." Mac narrowed his eyes and looked over at Jack suspicion warring with annoyance in his silver-blue eyes. Jack scowled.

"Yeah, we got problems, kiddo, and you need to eat." Jack didn't like Mac's lack of color or hint of blind panic in the kid's face. Mac swallowed and nodded. Jack squeezed his shoulder and nodded at Doc Carl. He half helped, half lifted Mac to sit on the couch. Mac closed his eyes obviously dizzy. Jack patted his arm.

"Everyone in the kitchen?" Doc Carl smiled.

"Follow the smell." Jack sniffed and grinned. A roast. God bless, Bozer.

"I'll be right through that door, ok?" Mac looked up at him and followed Jack's finger as if to make sure a steel door wouldn't it block his way to Jack. Jack took a steadying breath not for the first time burning with guilt about losing Mac to terrorists for a full month. Mac nodded and stared down at his feet. Jack patted his shoulder then crossed to the kitchen.

Bozer grinned as Jack came in the room.

"There's my best customer." Jack chuckled.

"Damn right, that smells awesome, Boze."

"Oh it is." Riley said around a mouth full of mashed potatoes.

"Never doubted it." Jack said sitting at the table, "Where's Matty?"

"She's calling her Pentagon friend." Sally said sipping coffee. Her plate was empty except a small pile of green beans. Jack made a note to tell Sam when they got back. The kid could blackmail her sister for a long time. Sally narrowed her eyes and picked up her fork. She stabbed a green bean glaring at Jack the entire time she chewed it. Of course, she knew what he was thinking. Jack turned away trying to keep the smirk off his face.

Bozer set down a plate heaped with food. Jack didn't taste it until he was half done. When he did, he groaned in delight. Damn that boy can cook! Mac shuffled into the room as Jack scraped his plate clean. He leaned back feeling happy and full. Mac stared at his feet as he walked. Doc Carl held the blonde's elbow as Mac crossed to sit beside Jack.

Mac closed his eyes as if he was in pain when Boze set a plate with small helpings of each food. Jack shared a sour look with the others. Getting Mac eat was tough in the best of times. Mac reached out his fork several times before he finally speared a small nibble of meat and ate it. Mac chewed it too fast and swallowed it. Jack could see tears stack in the kid's eyes. Izzy came from the kitchen. She looked at Mac with perfect compassion and shook her head, her eyes were deep wells of concern.

She poured Mac a glass of water. No one was surprised Mac dropped his fork and sucked down the water like he was in the desert. Izzy refilled his glass then left the pitcher in Mac's easy reach. Matty came into the room like a silent wrecking ball. She opened her mouth then paused seeing Mac's struggle to eat. She frowned and climbed into a chair. She pulled her hair back into a pony. That bad? Crap.

Everyone let out a breath as Mac finished his meal. He held his head in his hand taking long steadying breaths. Jack couldn't help but notice tremors in Mac's hand as he reached to pour another glass of water. The pitcher was empty. Jack smiled. At least the kid wouldn't need an IV.

"And now the prize!" Bozer said, his enthusiastic voice made everyone jump. Jack realized how quiet they'd been watching Mac eat. It was as if they didn't want to scare him away from taking in much needed nutrition. Mac looked up with dread only to break into a wide smile. Jack grinned right along with him. When Mac smiled it was like the warm sun coming out on a rainy day. Bozer set down a plate of peach cobbler. Jack's mouth watered.

"Is that-?"

"Nana Beth's recipe, yup." Jack tore into his serving. It wasn't quite as good as his Nana's, but probably the closest another human being could get. Jack was doubly pleased to see Mac tear into his with the same enthusiasm. When he sat back, Mac smiled.

"That was fantastic, Boze, thanks." Bozer beamed at his best friend. A serious silence fell on the group. Mac studied them one by one fear entering his eyes. Jack could feel the kid vibrate with tension. He glanced at the others. Of course it fell to him. It always fell to him.

"Look, Mac, we have a problem." Mac's body tightened as Jack told him about Johns and the shitstorm heading their way. He was pretty sure the kid was about to pass out by the time he finished. Mac sat staring at Jack a long time after the older man fell silent. Jack put a hand on his shoulder. He ducked to meet Mac's eyes.

"You ok, kiddo?" Mac gulped. His lips moved, but no sound came out. He took a sip of water. It took two more tries before he managed to strangle out a panicked question.

"Wh-what are we g-going to do?" Jack almost broke under the weight of the trust in the kid's glistening eyes. Jack turned to Matty and nodded.

Slowly, allowing Mac to process she described the plan.

"There are tunnels all over this island, one is even under this house. We're going to sneak you out of here before the boats land, then-"

"No." Mac said some of his normal determination coming out. The others stared at him surprised. Mac took a sip of water, "They...they'll hurt you, I ca-can't have you-no." Jack sighed. Of course. How did they not see this reaction coming? Matty leaned forward.

"Look, Mac, we only have to hold them back for a few hours before the Gerald Ford comes." Jack raised an eyebrow. Matty must have a hell of a friend to get the Navy's largest, most dangerous aircraft character to come to help them, again. Matty caught his look and smiled.

"They were in the neighborhood doing exercises, what better exercise than rescuing us from a navy of marauders." Jack winced and glanced at Mac. He didn't really need to know how much of a threat faced the Phoenix compound. Mac's face had fallen into a stony blank mask. Shit.

"Mac?" Jack reached out a hand. Mac shimmied out of his reach and pushed to his feet. He held onto the back of his chair.

"We need to pack." He shuffled toward the door a hand on the wall to steady himself. Jack scowled and followed him. Mac half-turned to demand Jack leave him alone as if this was all his fault somehow.

"Hey, Mac? Take a look at this guy...maybe you'll recognize him?" Mac's Adam's apple bobbed and he nodded. Riley hit a few keys on her laptop then turned it to face Mac. Jack glanced at the man. He was bald with a handlebar moustache. His face had craggy cruel angles and his dark eyes had all the friendliness of a cosmic black hole.

"You recognize-" Jack's voice choked as he turned back to Mac. The kid's eyes were wide with naked terror. Shit. Jack opened his mouth to talk to his partner when Mac's eyes rolled back and he collapsed.


	14. Chapter 14

"Mac!"

"Shit!"

"I guess that's a fat yes."

It took Jack a heartbeat to react. He reached Mac in time to do little more than slow his fall. Doc Carl leaned over Mac feeling his pulse. Jack looked at him panicking.

"What happened?" Doc Carl gave Jack a reassuring smile.

"He's ok, he fainted. Let's elevate his feet." Sally dragged over a pile of pillows. Jack and Doc Carl rolled Mac onto his back and eased his feet onto the pillows. Jack put his hand on Mac's forehead.

"He's cold."

"Here." Riley said handing over a hand sewn quilt. Doc Carl and Jack bundled Mac up. Mac let out a low moan. Jack leaned over the blonde and gently rubbed Mac's cheek. Mac jerked his head away and bolted to sitting crying out in Urdu. Jack caught him by his shoulders.

"Mac, Mac! Stop, you're gonna faint again." Mac froze and looked around the circle around him. His chest bucked as he fought for air, his eyes were wide. He looked up at Jack and laid back putting his hand on his forehead. The collective group let out a deep breath. Mac reached up and grabbed Jack's arm.

"Wh-what happened?" Jack looked up at Doc Carl. Mac followed his gaze. Doc Carl put a hand on Mac's chest.

"You fainted, Mac. You had quite the emotional jolt. Just take a few minutes, you'll be ok." Mac closed his eyes and nodded. After a few minutes of silent breathing he looked up at Jack a puzzled expression on his face.

"What emotional jolt?" Jack turned away and shot a questioning look at the young doctor. Mac kept his eyes on Jack's face. He reached up and grabbed Jack's arm, his fingers digging in.

"Jack?" Jack turned worried at the note of panic in Mac's voice. Jack sighed and reached down taking Mac's hand in both of his. He didn't like how cold the kid's skin was, "Ja-"

"Easy, kiddo, you need to keep breathing, ok?" Mac swallowed and nodded.

"We showed you a picture of a bald guy with Sam Elliott moustache-" Jack broke off when Mac turned away and closed his eyes. He started trembling. Jack reached out and ran his hand across Mac's forehead. Mac flinched and closed his eyes tighter. Jack could see dampness at the corner of Mac's eyes. He kept brushing his fingers through Mac's fuzz unil Mac got past the shivering and started to relax. Mac sniffed and wiped his nose. He turned and met Jack's eyes. Tears dripped down his cheeks and his eyes were red.

"Sorry," Mac sniffed softly.

"It's ok, kiddo. Just keep breathing, ok?" Mac wiped his eyes with the heel of his hand. He met the others gaze.

"Sorry...I don't...It was just…" Mac's voice ran out. Matty knelt across from Jack and held a damp rag in her hands. Mac moved to turn away. Matty cupped his cheek and turned the agent to face her. She smiled as she gently dabbed at his face. Mac's lip trembled.

"It's ok, blondie." She said softly. She reached out and held the hand that hung out of his cast. She squeezed it. Mac cleared his throat.

"So-uh-who was the...guy."

"We're not sure." Jack said. Matty raised an eyebrow.

"He...killed the prince...and...and…" Mac's voice trailed off and he huffed in frustration.

"He took you?" Matty said. Mac nodded closing his eyes.

"He...he wasn't there...all the time...only…" Mac's grip tightened until both Matty and Jack's hands blanched.

"Shhh, easy brother. You don't have to go into the details until your ready." Jack shot Matty a dark look. Mac opened his eyes and took a deep breath.

"He had a blue vette…'70s, convertible, white top...and interior." Mac smiled, "I killed it...when I...almost...got away." Jack grinned and patted Mac on the chest.

"That's my boy." He glanced up at Riley who was already typing on her laptop.

"Well, I don't know who he is, but he is not Olean Johns."

"What?"

"Here-" Riley hesitated looking down at Mac. Mac licked his dry lips.

"It's ok, Riley. I'm already on the floor." The group laughed despite the situation. Riley nodded nervously. She turned around the laptop. A military ID with the man's picture without the moustache. Mac closed his eyes and turned away.

"You ok, Mac?" Bozer asked. Mac nodded.

"Who is this guy, Ri?"

"Meet Lester Holt. He was a marine-"

"Was?" Matty asked.

"He left the service early and joined Black Armor."

"That's a private military contractor." Jack said surprised. He glanced down. Mac laid still with his eyes closed. Jack frowned and put the back of his hand to Mac's forehead. Mac opened his eyes and offered a weak smile. Jack smiled back and patted his chest.

"It was, it lost most of its contracts with the government when they took offers from both sides."

"Would Holt be able to find us through his connections?" Bozer asked. Matty huffed and nodded.

"We're probably more secure than other agencies, but it's possible."

"He knew me." Mac said looking up at Jack. He looked exhausted.

"What?"

"He knew me, he came in and killed the prince then there was a bomb then-"

"Whoa, easy brother, easy." Mac closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead. He nodded. After a long minute he opened his eyes again.

"He said that he'd heard about me...he...he was in the van when they…" Mac shook his head and half-turned to push himself up to sitting.

"Mac, I don't know if-" Doc Carl broke off when Mac shot him a cold glare. Jack helped Mac up and supported him when Mac finally climbed to his feet. Mac swayed.

"C'mon, kiddo." Jack walked Mac to the living room and helped him get settled on the couch. He sat and rubbed Mac's back until the kid was out. Jack glanced at his watch. He returned to the kitchen.

Mac waited until Jack went back to the kitchen then sat up. He leaned forward and put his head in his hands. He fainted. He fucking fainted. Mac wiped his face and glared at his hands. They shook. His hands never shook. How many bombs had he dismantled and they never shook. Mac slumped and let his hands hang down. He stared at the fire and half-listened to the team in the kitchen. They were deciding where they would go. Mac closed his eyes and shivered. Tunnels. _Thunk...blackness...cold_...Stop, stop, stop...Mac forced in a deep breath, but still felt short of breath, as if he were trapped in a black, airless hole-

"No." Mac jumped realizing he'd said it out loud. His back flinched and he nervously looked around the room. He knew it was stupid, but he couldn't stop it. It will take awhile, he told himself. It wasn't as convincing as Jack saying it. When Jack said it, Mac could almost believe it. Mac ran his hand over his hair, or lack of. He wasn't sure if it was better or worse than having the matts. It smelled better, but made him feel naked, vulnerable. Mac rubbed his neck. The swelling had gone down, it hurt a lot less. Mac didn't think the marks would ever go away. Even if his skin completely healed...Mac closed his eyes and twitched as he again felt it slide over his head.

"No, no, no…" Mac felt his gut churn.

"Hey, Mac?" Jack spoke softly, but it didn't stop Mac from jumping and shying away. Mac closed his eyes, his heart pounding. Jack stayed by the door, but looked like he was ready to take in a whole army, "You ok?"

Mac looked up and nodded. Jack studied him a long minute.

"We're gonna be leaving in a little while, you ready?" Mac licked his lips and looked away.

"Do I have a choice?" Mac mumbled.

"That's the spirit." Mac shot Jack a glare. Jack grinned and ducked back into the kitchen. Mac slumped back. He wondered if he ever felt so tired or hurt. He closed his eyes. He must have fallen asleep because an hour later Jack shook his arm. Mac gasped and jumped back. Jack crouched in front of him in full TAC gear. Riley and Bozer were dressed in black gear. Both carried packs on their backs. Mac straightened. The entire room was surrounded by TAC agents. Matty came in fit for battle. All the guns surrounding him made his skin itch.

"Here, Mac." Mac jumped and stared up at Sally warily. She held another hoodie, this one with a larger sleeve with plastic sewn around it. She helped him into it, then bent and helped him into boots with rubber soles for stealth and grip. Mac swallowed and looked up surprised.

"You're coming?" Tomaz, the new orderly, carried a huge medical pack and a standard M5. He carried it like a soldier.

"Matty insisted." Jack growled clearly unhappy about it. Mac raised an eyebrow.

"Problem."

"Nah...he's ok, for a crying little water baby."

"Right back atcha dirty desert rat." Tomaz snapped back as he slid a footlong knife in his boot. Mac frowned and glanced at the others. Riley rolled her eyes.

"In addition to being a field-tested medic, he's a SEAL." Mac chuckled and shook his head. He glanced at Jack who scowled. Mac could tell the Delta wasn't really upset, but it would be disloyal to the Delta Squad to ignore the rivalry between the two special forces branch.

"He also plays a wicked Spanish Guitar." Boze added. Tomaz blushed and turned away, "You know you all could do a duet at karaoke."

"Bozer, everyone knows you sing with real music accompanying you, something with a slide and a beat, maybe a drum solo-"

"Yeah, whatever, Jack." Matty turned to look at Mac. She took his hand.

"It's going to be ok." Mac swallowed and shook his head.

"I don't get why we have to go, if we set a-"

"Look, Mac. You're their primary target." Mac leaned back frowning. He felt sweat bead on his forehead and lip. He opened his mouth then shut it. He knew he wasn't in any shape for a fight. Still it felt wrong.

"Blondie, if you were here we'd have to worry about you and them. Besides the Gerald Ford is going to be night landing on the east of the island. We need to have the beach secured." Mac nodded. He didn't like it, but it made sense.

"Where's my pack?" He asked. The others looked at each other confused. Jack laughed and stepped forward. He held out a small leather bag. Mac took it and peeked in he grinned.

"Duct tape, matches, and one Swiss army knife." Jack said. Mac managed to slide it over his shoulder and across his chest. He nodded, as ready as he was going to be.

"Jack, you have about two hours."  
"Roger that, ok water baby, let's rock."

"See if you can keep up, knuckle dragger." Tomaz snipped back. Both commandos grinned at each other.

"This is going to be fun." Riley snarked. She adjusted her backpack and fell in behind Tomaz. Bozer crossed to Mac and ducked under the blonde's good arm helping him. Jack brought up the rear with a final serious look and nod.

Mac's gut churned. Sweat already slicked his body. He focused on his feet. One after the other. He told himself. Mac stumbled and grunted dizzy.

"You ok?" Boze asked in his ear. Mac tried to smile.

"Better than Mollinger's PE." He said a bit breathlessly. Bozer grinned and shifted Mac higher onto his shoulder. A soft moan escaped, "Mac, sorry, I-"

"'S k, Boze. 'm getting old."

"Hell no! If you're getting old, what the hell does that make me?" Boze joked. Mac snorted.

"Mummy dust?"

"Ha, ha, you're hilarious." Bozer groused. Mac's face hurt with his grin. He paused as Tomaz opened a screen door. It was hot out and the air was heavy with moisture. Mac could feel the air wrap around him like a slimy hand. The bright green life around him made his eyes hurt. He ducked feeling like a spotlight was shining in his face. He moaned as pain flared through his head. He gasped in a few breaths. It was hard to breath. The world seemed to assault him on all sides. He groaned and his knees folded. Boze caught him and held him up. Jack came around to the other side. He ducked to meet Mac's eyes.

"Mac?" Mac put a hand on his shoulder and nodded.

"Ju-st a min-" Jack nodded. He said something over Mac's shoulder. Mac shook his head and forced himself to lean less on Bozer. He looked up at Tomaz and nodded. Tomaz looked skeptical, but started out again. Jack walked beside Mac, keeping a hand around his waist as he scanned around them with his M5 braced on his hip. Mac closed his eyes and let them guide him. He knew his senses would adjust in a few minutes. He'd just about adjusted when they arrived at a small shack. Tomaz opened and stepped in. Mac looked up and froze. Just inside the door was a black hole without any light.

"NO!" He screamed pushing backwards trying to twist free. His heart pounded and he couldn't breathe. He shoved free of Bozer and Jack and spun. He tried to run, but his legs wouldn't support him. He scrabbled in the dust desperate to get away. Hands grabbed him. Mac twisted and kicked out he tried to bite an arm holding him. He heard voices, but they were in a different language.

They finally subdued him. Mac gasped and tried to move. They yelled at him. Mac braced for the boots, the boots always came-something sharp bit into his arm. Mac frowned. His muscle burned and the heat seemed to sizzle under his skin. Mac tried to roll over, but was trapped under their weight. Mac gasped and everything spun madly. He couldn't hold his head up any minute. His eyes fluttered and he slumped to the dirt.

"Damnit." Jack growled. He glanced over at Tomaz who was resheathing the needle. Tomaz met Jack's gaze.

"He'll be ok, Jack. Hopefully that'll keep him out for the trip through the tunnels."

"I'd never seen him like that before." Bozer said subdued.

"Yeah." Riley said. Jack met their pale faced somber looks. He nodded.

"Yeah, you got the thing?" Tomaz nodded and unslung his pack. He pulled out two aluminum poles that telescoped out. He pulled out a canvas and slid the ends into the poles. In seconds, they had a sturdy stretcher. Jack and Bozer lifted Mac onto it and Bozer pulled a blanket out of his pack. They bundled it around Mac. Boze and Tomaz put their packs back together. Jack eyed the younger agents.

"You guys got him?" Boze set his pack on the stretcher by Mac's feet and nodded.

"Absolutely." Riley handed hers to Tomaz. She rolled her eyes but didn't say anything. Jack nodded. As soon as they were up and moving Jack nodded at Tomaz and the medic led them down into the black maw.


	15. Chapter 15

The tunnel was unnerving. It was wide and round. Their flashlights bounced off the black walls like dim mirrors. Every sound seemed to echo in all directions. Matty had told him the forest around the cliff had been underwater for centuries and smoothed the tunnels. She babbled something about glass and obsidian or mica or some damn thing. Jack didn't care. He paused. The air was cooler than outside, but condensation made everything feel slick and slimy. He felt like he was being digested by some giant beast-a disturbing image.

Mac let out a soft moan. Jack frowned. He knew it would be tough on his brother, but he hadn't expected the blind panic. He should have. He'd seen the hell hole Mac had been tossed in and he'd seen the wounds and pain. It hadn't really come together for him until Mac screamed and fought tooth and nail to escape the black hole they were dragging him into. They had been worried about Mac being interrogated and now they were worried about him being hunted and returned to the terrified animal state they had found him in. Jack shook his head and his white knuckled grip tightened even more. He forced his muscles to relax.

Tomaz hissed and crouched aiming the flashlight at the floor. Jack turned and eyed the way they came. Boze and Riley rested Mac on the ground and shook their muscles out. Jack glanced at his watch. They'd been walking an hour and a half. They had been pushing hard trying to get out of the tunnels before Mac woke up again. Mac again groaned and his body jerked with a nightmare. Jack shared a worried look with Boze and Riley.

Tomaz had given the kid enough to knock a normal person out for several hours. Mac's system tore through the drugs triple that.

"What do you got?" Jack said his voice a low hiss. Tomaz half turned.

The tunnels are splitting off and I heard something, but I don't know which way. Jack scowled. He closed his eyes and focused on his ears. He couldn't-They all jumped. Jack wasn't sure about in front of him, but he was positive that was an explosion behind him.

"That was an explosion." Bozer said.

"Matty-"

"Is on her own, which way do we go, Riley?" Jack's voice came out harsher than he intended and a whole lot calmer than he felt. His brain ran through the possibilities. Another explosion, than another-Jack glanced over. Riley unslung her computer and tapped away. There were no maps of the tunnels so Riley had bippity bopped a satellite and made a rough trail of the warren. Jack gulped. In the dim glow of the laptop light, Riley looked pale, scared and way too young to be facing an army of terrorists. Jack looked away his finger tapping on his semi.

"There's people coming." Tomaz whispered glancing back. Mac moaned softly. Jack and the SEAL's eyes met in that one second they knew they were fucked.

"Can you give him anything?"

"Not in the fragile state he's in."

"Shit."

"The tunnel to the right goes into a fork, one leads to a small chamber, the other dead ends." Jack chewed his lip and glanced behind him. The distant sound of gunfire crackled behind them. Jack began to think Mac was right. The whump from the chronic explosions sounded again. Jack realized they were shells from the boats. He glanced at his watch. The Gerald Ford should be coming in another three or four hours. Could Phoenix hold out? Jack glanced down as Mac rolled on his side, his blue eyes sparked in the light. He was definitely waking up. Jack could hear the voices coming from the front now. They chatted with normal voices as if they were on a ride at Disneyland. That level of confidence sent a shiver down his spine, and pissed him off.

"Alright, Tomaz take the others to that chamber-"

"Jack, no!" Jack smiled at the heat in Riley's voice. Was it wrong for him to glow with appreciation for her fear?

"I'm just gonna leave them a little something to remember us with, then I'll be with you."

"Promise?" Jack heard the terrified 12-year-old tremor in her voice. Jack squeezed her shoulder.

"You bet, get moving. Tomaz?" The SEAL grinned his dark eyes sparkling with more hardness than the eery black walls. Jack nodded.

"You'll do." He muttered. Tomaz frowned.

"Babe? The pig? Really?" Jack rolled his eyes.

"Will you go already? Sheesh, try to compliment a guy…" Tomaz chuckled and Jack realized he'd been set up. Tomaz threw him a thumbs up then turned forward. Jack liked what he saw. In one step joking Tomaz was gone, his entire body was coiled like a spring ready for combat. Maybe if he didn't get killed, Jack would steal him for a TAC agent.

Tomaz led the others away. He kept his flashlight on low, just enough to make their way as quickly as possible. Jack turned his off and put his hand on the smooth walls. He waited until he couldn't see his team anymore then crouched and tugged out his knife. He slammed it into the wall. Obsidian must be something like glass because he could feel it crack and sharp shards flew at him. He grunted when a particularly long piece sliced the back of his hand open.

Jack grunted and absently wiped his hand on his pants. By feel he rested a grenade in the niche and strung garrote wire from across the hall. He pulled out his smaller Spyderco Dragonfly and jammed the four inch blade deep into the wall. He cranked the wire around the knife. He was going to miss that knife. It had been one of his first weapons. Jack sighed and let it go.

Jack turned and with a hand running along the wall jogged in the direction his team had gone. He slid a couple times, but the floor was as smooth as the walls. The slime made it slippery, but the rubber soles on his boots were designed to have extra grip. For the quadrillionth time was impressed by Mac's ingenuity.

Jack paused craning his head. He could make out the voices clearly. Urdu, he thought. If he never heard that language again, he'd be a happy camper. He pressed against the wall and slowed his walk to a low creep. He could feel air against his face. He smiled. That meant they were close to the tunnel entrance. Unfortunately, their hunters were between them and the exit. Jack couldn't see any light, but their voices sounded less than a dozen feet away. Jack slipped past them and had turned down the junction leading to the chamber the others hid in when the grenade blew.

Jack was knocked off his feet by compressed air, but shrapnel missed him. The men in the tunnel weren't so lucky. Their screams were muffled in Jack's ringing ears. He scrambled to his feet. He hadn't taken them out. He could hear the stomp of boots. This next group had given up on sneaking and Jack could see a million lights coming toward him. Allowing for reflections, Jack figured there were really about twenty guys. Jack nodded. Time to go to work.

He worked his way down the cave.

"If you aren't an annoying Jack Dalton, your dead." Tomaz growled.

"Then it's my lucky day, awesome Jack Dalton here." Jack said pitching his voice low.

"Come ahead, bro." A tiny light flared. Jack slid toward it at the fastest speed he could manage. He slid into the room. From the sound it wasn't much bigger than his living room.

"Riley? Boze? You 'k?"

"Fucking fantastic." Riley growled. Boze made some sort of strangled noise, the kind that came before drunk puking. Close enough.

"Great, how's-" Mac suddenly scream making them all jump. Jack grimaced hearing the Urdu voices close in on their position. Jack couldn't see his kids, but he could feel their fear more than the damp air.

"Ok, you guys stay with Mac. Tomaz wanna play mousetrap?"

"It's my fave." The dim light went out. Jack slung his M5 over his shoulder and pulled out his eleven inch Gerber. He couldn't hear Tomaz on the other side of the corridor, but he'd be upset if he didn't.

The hunter in him came out. He glided along light on his feet, all of his senses working tenfold. He could hear the breathing of their attackers. He pressed against the wall and crouched waiting. He heard the familiar crackle of a radio. The enemy paused. Jack froze. Even out of the circle of light they carried movement would draw their eye.

"Yeah?" Jack narrowed his eyes. That was an American voice, from New York he thought. He shook his head and shifted position of the knife from a front attack to sideways along his wrist for outer cuts. He knew Black Armor pulled soldiers from Special Forces and Jack knew how they fought. Their main objective was to capture the stabbing arm and isolate it, preferably by breaking it. A straight thrust, while giving more reach and better striking ability, would be like offering his arm as sacrifice. Even in this dim light, they were going to be fighting in very close quarters. Better to give them fast low profile strikes.

So intent was he on his assessment of the group of men he could see and those he couldn't, he only half heartedly listened to the radio until he realized what they were being said.

"...a few dead, but they lost more." He didn't recognize the deep nasally voice but it had the arrogance of command. Jack closed his eyes his gut dropping. How many had Phoenix lost? Who? Jack could see Matty, Sally, Doc Carl or Izzy staring up at the sky with dead eyes as a pool of blood spilled around him. He gritted his teeth and focused his fear into anger. All of Phoenix was family and you don't fuck with family. He was going to exact as much blood as he could. His heart pounded with fear as he heard Mac scream behind him. The kid was awake and from the sounds of fighting, not doing so well. Jack tried to press against the more. He wanted nothing more to run to his scared boy and hold him, calming through his terrors, but saving his life trumped psychological dammage. Jack slid closer. He knew Boze and Riley would have to turn on the light soon, before they lost Mac. Even injured, a panicked Mac was a dangerous prospect. The light would backlight him and Tomaz, not a good scenerio. He was as close as he dared when the New Yorker answered his boss. Jack thought he must be Holt's second in command.

"We're closing in now, shouldn't be too hard." Yeah, asshole, we'll see about that.

"Bring him up as soon as possible."

"Roger." Jack could feel the hatred for Mac in Holt's voice. He wondered what his beef with the kid was, almost as fast as he thought it he ignored it focusing on the closest two guys. They were all grouped together. Jack considered mowing them down, but he had no idea how much the tunnel walls would richochet rounds and he did like Tomaz, even if he was a SEAL. New York said something to the group in Urdu. The men started strolling forward like rabbits entering a cage. Jack saw a flash of movement to his right and grinned leaping forward.

For once luck was on his side. As he reached the first man, Bozer and Riley turned on the lights. The group was caught flat footed. The first three were freebies. Jack had their throats slit before the first one hit the ground. He saw men fall on the otherside of the corridor and caught a glimpse of Tomaz slicing and dicing. The kid was good, Jack had to admit. Jack grunted as he was slow to duck a rifle but. It hit his shoulder enough to numb it. Luckily that wasn't his knife hand. Jack dropped to the floor and spun knocking out the guy's legs. Jack stabbed the guy up through his chin. He let go of his knife and yanked out his Beretta.  
"Firing." He called. He was pleased with how calm his voice was. He saw four or five men hitting the deck. Those would be the American special forces, they would be the hard opponents. The others, fish in a bucket. Jack carefully angled his shots for the best effect. He got three guys with one shot and strategic ricochet. Ha! Top that Mr. Navy SEAL.

When his pistol ran dry, Jack yanked his M5 off his shoulder and slammed it in the knee of one of the Americans who rose to his feet. The man screamed. Mac's scream was an unnerving echo. Jack grunted as something slammed into his vest. He fell on his ass, his head hitting the solid wall. Jack shook his head and slid to the ground lashing out with his boot, buying him space. He could feel hot blood soaking his shirt, and fast. It was a bad hit, crap.

He knew he'd be out soon from bloodloss. The idea that he would die and Tomaz might live and mock the Delta force got him to his feet. He jammed up with the heel of his hand, knocking his opponents head back. Jack slammed his M5 into the exposed neck. Jack shoved the dead guy into the soldier behind him whirled and slammed the butt of the M5 into the next guy dropping him.

Hands grabbed him from behind. Jack gasped and kicked off the wall sending them both to the ground with Jack on top. Jack yelled in pain but adrenaline kept him moving. He rolled to the side and jammed his elbow into the guys face. The man screamed and stabbed out. Jack grunted as a knife slid under his vest into his right side. Jack slammed down his gun the man screamed over the snap of the bones in his wrist. Jack felt hands grab him by the front of the vest, lift him like a puppy and smash him against the wall. Everything faded into static. Jack shook his head and blinked sweat out of his eyes. Lit from below the man looked like an Aryan pitbull, and was huge. Jack grunted as the man adjusted his grip around Jack's neck slamming him into the wall again and again. Jack knew he was about done. He heard Riley scream. He failed. Jack grimaced and reached down. With a scream of pain and rage he yanked out the knife in his side and jammed it up under the other guy's TAC vest. Unlike the other man, Jack scored the heart. He growled as he twisted and worked the knife back and forth. The man let out a piercing screech and fell back blood flooding the cave floor. Jack received a face full when he slapped against stone. He looked up. Tomaz was on his knees. Jack could hear struggling coming from Riley and Boze down the hall. Jack pulled himself toward his fallen gun. A hand stomped down. Jack could feel the bones break. He looked up and saw nothing but rifle butt as it slammed into his head.


	16. Chapter 16

Mac was past thinking. He fought. Blackness, absolute. Hands on him. He couldn't breathe. It had been so real, but he was still in the box. Still in his cage. Mac screamed.

"Turn on the light!" Far in the foggy corners of his brain it occured to Mac the voice wasn't speaking Urdu, and it was familiar. He twisted free and clawed across slimy rock. Not again. No, no, no. He had no idea if that echoed around his head or the world. His right arm wouldn't move. Mac rolled onto his back. Gunfire. Screams. Mac held his hands over his ears.

"No more, please stop!" He mumbled. His breath was ragged and tore through his chest like a vulture's claw. Exhaustion. Mac slumped unmoving to the smooth stone. He closed his eyes. He had no more fight left.

"Mac? Mac?" Mac frowned. That voice sounded familiar too. His head was going to explode. He moaned and twisted away from hands touching him.

"Hey, buddy, it's just us, look." Mac covered his eyes as a spotlight blazed above his head. After a minute he blinked. He slumped back and let out a long breath.

"R-R...B-Bo-" Mac's weak rasp was barely louder than a breath. Bozer and Riley shared a small smile. The smile vanished when they all heard a scream.

"That sounded like Jack." Riley hissed her hand reaching out to grab Mac's arm.

"Ja-" Mac gasped as he tried to sit up.

"Oh, he's fine. Just relax." Riley said. If Mac hadn't been so out of it, he would have seen through her unconvincing mask. Mac's eyes slowly closed and he was out again. Riley bit her lip and scanned the room. It was some sort of dry goods storage room. Rows of shelves covered with cobwebbed and rusted cans were shoved against one wall.

"Boze give me a hand." Riley scooted over to the shelves and tugged at cans under the lowest shelf. Bozer joined her.

"What are we doing?" He whispered.

"Jack and Tomaz can't fight them off forever-"

"We're gonna die." Bozer said. Riley gave him a sour look.

"I don't know, Boze, but we can't let them get Mac." Both looked over their shoulders to their unconscious friend. Bozer nodded and helped her dig out the cans. Soon they had a narrow open space. The fighting outside was lessening. Riley grabbed Mac's upper body, Boze took his feet they worked Mac into the niche. Riley clicked off the light and put it on Mac's chest where she knew he could reach it. Boze stacked up enough cans to hide most of Mac. Riley rolled their packs in dirt and cobwebs then tucked them in to hide him completely. Riley reached out. Bozer's hand was as cold and damp as hers was.

"Stay to the wall, try to sneak past them." She whispered in his ear.

"Hey, Ri-"

"What?"

"I just want you to know-"

"I know, Boze, me too." She squeezed his arm then was gone. Boze fumbled his way to the cave entrance and slid along the wall. There was one last scream then the cave went silent. Boze curled up as low and close as he could get. The circle of light came toward him. He covered his head hoping they couldn't see him any more than he could them. It was the worst game of hide and seek ever.

"What the hell?" Boze's heart fell to the floor as he was grabbed and raised to his feet. A solid gut punch doubled him over and a knee to the head left him on all fours blood running from his broken nose. He heard Riley fighting across from him and the sound of a fist hitting flesh. An angry bellow in Urdu told Boze Riley was far from done. Then Riley cried out and Boze looked up to see her sprawl on the floor of the cavern unmoving, blood pouring from a bloody head wound.

"Ri-" Bozer gasped as he was kicked in the side. Bozer curled up for protection as the guys went nuts. He couldn't remember ever being pummeled so bad. They rolled him over and a tall blond American looked down at him. Boze gasped and fought as the guy's combat boot pressed down on his throat.

"Where is MacGyver?" Bozer choked, his feet skuffed desperately. Boze thought of Mac screaming in terror, being hung...Bozer met the guys eyes with the worst glare he could muster.

"F-fuck you.." He managed to spit out. The man growled and kicked Boze in the head. After Boze was out he turned away punching the smooth tunnel wall. What the fuck was up with these Phoenix people? To a man or woman they refused to sell out MacGyver. Even knowing what waited for them. Idiots. He nodded at his men.

"Bring them, maybe Mr. MacGyver will trade himself for them."

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Mac bolted awake and cracked his head solidly into something above him. He cried out and tried to hold his head. He couldn't move; he couldn't see! Mac gasped in panic. Was he buried alive? Mac felt something resting on his chest. With shaking fingers he explored it and let out a groan in relief. Flashlight. He clicked it on and frowned glancing around him. What the hell? He pushed himself out from under the shelf and scurried to the middle of the room. He took in the room. All of the others packs were with him. He was alone. Mac swayed dizzily and his heart pounded in his ears. He was alone. Was he captured again? Mac slid to the curved wall and worked himself to his feet. He leaned against the wall heaving. The air was heavy. He winced. He'd gotten more bruises and some of his old wounds were bleeding again. He remembered fighting. Great.

For a second his irrational mind told him that his family had left him down here alone because they were tired of his clinginess. His eyes burned and his chest tightened. He forced in a breath. No, they wouldn't it. Not ever. Mac shuffled out to the hall and froze horrified. It was awash with clotting blood. Mac slumped to his knees. They wouldn't abandon him, but they would sacrifice themselves for him. Tears ran down his face as he touched one of the nearest puddles.

Whatever happened couldn't have happened more than an hour ago. If Matty was right and he was their primary target, the others might still be alive. But they wouldn't be for long. Mac gulped. First he had to gather stuff together, then he had to find a way out of here and back to his friends. His plan kind of fizzled out after that. First things first. Mac turned and puked.

Mac collapsed in a ball when he managed to get back to the store cavern. He dug through the packs. Jack's was empty. Mac closed his eyes. His brother had fought with everything he had to save Mac. Had it cost him his life? Mac swallowed down a wail of despair. Riley's held her laptop and gear. Bozer's food and camping supplied. Mac grimaced and pulled out a bottle of water. He rinsed out his mouth then gulped the whole thing down.

Mac grinned when he opened Tomaz pack. He pulled out a handful of alcohol saturated gauze in foil containers. He found the universal trio kit-antibiotics, morphine, and B12 most military emergency packs had in them. Grimacing he awkwardly drew up all three and stabbed his leg. He pulled out a packet of caffeine pills and swallowed them all. He might drop dead of a stroke or heart attack. He just hoped it was after his friends were safe. He pulled out an ACE wrap and long roll of gauze. He frowned rubbing his shoulder. The next part was going to suck. He sat a minute letting the morphine kick in. When he felt nicely woozy he staggered to his feet and moved over to the shelf. He picked up the heaviest can he could manage one handed and laid down on the floor. Mac gritted his teeth and with a shout smashed at his cast with the can. Mac screamed as he felt broken bones rebreak. Tears flooded his eyes and he could taste blood. He lifted the can and managed two more hits before he blacked out.

Oh shit, he hurt. It took a long minute for Mac to reawaken. He felt along his crushed shoulder and smiled grimly. He tugged as the cast until he could pull his shoulder out. He screamed as he sat up. Flashes of color sparked across his head. Sweat beaded his brow and ran down his face and body. He shook. He could feel that weird dazed cold. Shock. Mac shook his head and forced himself to keep moving. He awkwardly wrapped his bad shoulder tight with the ACE. It took away some of the raw agony leaving a new ache behind. Mac breathed until he adjusted to the newest hell his body would have to contend with. With the same can he smashed the plaster into bits. Using his teeth, he opened the alcohol gauze and packed the aluminum packet full with plaster. He then wrapped this with gauze. He had enough for three bombs. He frowned. For these to work they would have to be heated slower than a fuse bomb. He bit his lip and shrugged. He opened three of the smaller can. The smell of the rotten food inside turned his stomach. He was glad he decided to take the antibiotic before he started.

Mac tucked the round balls into the can then packed the inside with gauze. He found a bag of alcohol wipes and packed these unopened into the cans. Mac put the lids back on and duct taped the whole thing together. He shoved these into one of the empty pack. He crossed to Riley's computer and booted it up. The rig she took on missions she'd gotten into the habit of telling the others what the code was and changing it each mission. Mac had never been so grateful for her foresite. Mac didn't know much about computers, but he'd learned how to handle skype pretty well with his relationship with Knasha. Mac paused a pang in his heart. What he wouldn't do to be back home with her figuring out how to bring water into the village again.

Focus. Mac snapped at himself. Mac opened skype and clicked on history. He sank back in relief. Riley had made a call to the Gerald Ford. Hoping for the best, Mac hit the connect button. A young woman with short dark hair answered immediately.

"Codeword." She demanded. Mac rubbed his face.

"I don't have one-" The screen went black.

"Son of a bitch!" Mac growled and stabbed the connect button again. The same woman looked at him sternly.

"Sir, the unauthorized use of this channel-"

"My name is MacGyver and I need to speak to the Captain. NOW." The woman stopped in mid sentence. She closed her mouth so fast her teeth audibly clicked together." She turned and spoke into the microphone attached to her headset. She nodded.

"One moment." Mac opened his mouth but didn't get the chance to say anything before he was looking into the craggy face of the Captain of the aircraft carrier.

"About time one of you people contacted us. We need the coordinates for landing and what's up with all these boats out here?" Mac blinked and shook his head trying to stay awake. The Captain did a double take.

"You look like shit, son. What's your sitrep?" Mac swallowed and told the Captain all he knew. The Captain nodded. He nodded at his Number One and a satellite view of the island was put up. Mac leaned in and blinked until he got the layout.

"There's signs of shelling." The Captain commented.

"That would be from that Navy all around you." The Captain scoffed.

"Navy? This riff-raff? That's insulting, son." He paused studying Mac, "I'll let it go." Mac smiled and nodded.

"I appreciate that Sir." The Captain narrowed his eyes.

"We can take out the bogeys out here, but I'm not sure that will end well for Phoenix." Mac nodded and straightened his shoulders wincing at the pull in his bad shoulder.

"Give me two hours, sir, and I'll take care of it." The Captain raised an eyebrow.

"Alright, Son. You got your two hours. After we take out the trash, we'll be able to land and come to you to mop up." Mac let out a relieved breath.

"Thank you, Captain."

"Buy me a beer and we'll call it even." Mac grinned.

"You got it." Mac broke the connection and slumped closing his eyes. Two hours? He can't. There was not way-NO, Mac growled. He would make it happen, somehow. Mac staggered to his feet. He slung the bag over his good shoulder and fell to his knees. Son of a bitch. He took a few steadying breaths and forced his feet under him again. He shuffled forward the flashlight shaking in his hand causing it to dance dizzily around him. He leaned over and dry heaved. He slumped to the ground and closed his eyes. He had two hours...NO. Mac screamed at himself. He thought of all Holt had done to him. The idea that his team, his family, could be going through the same thing pumped the adrenaline. He'd save them. After that he didn't care what happened. He gritted his teeth and forced one foot in front of the other.


	17. Chapter 17

"He's waking up."

"Jack?"

"About time, Dalton." Jack moaned. He hurt everywhere. He put a hand on his side only half surprised to find a thick bandage there. He frowned. It occurred to him that he shouldn't be waking up. Jack opened his eyes and jumped when he saw his favorite people surround him, he wasn't sure if there really were as many as he saw or if he was seeing a very fuzzy triplicate. He groaned.

"Wha-?" He closed his head. He wondered if he had a boot print imbedded there. It felt like it. He cleared his throat and tried again, "Where are we?"

"We're in a world of shit." Matty growled. Jack blinked Riley's face into focus. He frowned as the others came out of the fog. He growled and sat up wincing at the pull on his wounds.

"Where's Mac?" Riley held his hand, but wouldn't meet his eyes. He could tell she'd been crying, or trying hard not to. Jack reached out and gently turned her head. A huge gash with stitches ran from her eyebrow to her ear. Jack gritted his teeth as he took in the others. Bozer had a split lip and his nose looked broken. Matty had a black eye. Doc Carl sported lumps and bruises across his face and neck. Jack breathed in relief. Izzy and Laura didn't have a scratch on them. They knelt beside Sally tending her. Jack's jaw clenched with rage. Sally sat with her back on the wall. She'd taken the worst. Her scrubs were ripped, hair was pulled out of her scalp, both eyes were swollen shut and she cradled her left arm against her. She offered a half smile grimacing as it pulled her swollen mouth and torn lip. Jack brought his gaze back to Riley. He took her chin in one hand and raised her dark eyes to meet his. He rubbed his thumb along her cheek rubbing away.

"Riley, where's Mac?" Jack fought to keep his tone gentle. Riley sniffed.

"We hid him."

"You left him behind?" Riley flinched at the edge that came into Jack's tone. They could all hear the angry _alone_ silently added on. Jack cleared his throat and pulled his anger back in. Save it for the bad guys. He reminded himself. He squeezed Riley's shoulder.

"He hasn't been caught?"

"He's not here." Matty said. The group sat back. Jack took in his surroundings. They were in a small shed. A small, hot shed. It was empty and plain wood with a tin roof. Jack grimaced and wiped sweat from his forehead. He winced as he felt the back of his head. Quite the bump. He looked at the tired ragged bunch in front of him. Time to quit bitching. He glanced at his watch. Half an hour and it'll be dark out. He grunted and he pushed himself to his feet.

"Jack, you can't-"

"Jack, sit down before you fall down." Matty said holding onto his elbow to steady him. Jack fell back against the planks. He closed his eyes and waited for the world to stop tilting and spinning around him. He shook his head and gently pushed the others away.

"I'm fine, we need to get out of here, before-" Jack's voice trailed off and he grinned. The others shared a worried look.

"What the hell-"

"Shh, listen." They all fell silent. Jack leaned back again and they could all here a soft creak.

"The boards are loose." Bozer said stepping over Riley's legs to reach Jack's side. They pushed until they found the loose one. Jack frowned they needed more muscle. A thought occurred to him.

"Where's Tomaz?" The silence was deafening. Jack felt his gut curl. Tomaz was a good guy, "He dead?"

"Yeah, Jack. We lost 15." Doc Carl said staring at his hands. Jack thought the young doctor had aged a century. Izzy turned from Sally and leaned over the Doc whispering in his ear. Doc Carl nodded and patted his grandmother's hand. The whole group was hurting inside and out. Jack leaned back.

"All right all of you listen, we'll bury our dead after we get this asshole, right? We are going to get out of here, we are going to find Mac, and we are getting off this stupid island. Got it?" Jack could read guilt of one kind or another on each of their faces.

"And as an addendum, this is nobody's fault except the assholes out there. Right?" The others perked up, Matty squared her shoulders.

"I can't believe I'm saying this out loud, but Jack is right."

"God, it is the end of the world." Sally said softly. They all chuckled and nodded.

"So what's the plan?" Bozer said.

"We need to find a way to bust these boards out." Jack said rubbing sweat out of his eyes.

"I have an idea." Izzy said. She turned to Carl, "Do you still have the suture kit? Laura, some gauze?"

"I used the last bit on Sally's arm." Izzy looked disappointed. Jack raised his shirt and tugged at the bloody dressing.

"Jack, what the-"  
"I'm gonna be sick." Jack pulled out a long strand of tape and gauze. He winced at the fur ripped off his chest and abdomen. He made a face and handed it to Izzy. Izzy grinned. Her eyes sparked with the same excitement Mac got when he was about to test a theory. Jack felt his heart skip. He pictured Mac terrified, curled up alone in darkness, screaming-

"Jack, he's gonna be ok." Jack looked down at Matty who held his hand. Jack nodded but couldn't speak or he'd break down. Izzy bent down and grimaced as her knees popped. Unlike Jack, no one teased the elderly doctor. She opened the suture kit. She pulled out the steel forceps included in the kit and the curved needle. With the nimble fingers of a surgeon, she fitted the needle in the end of the forceps. She bent the needle into a full loop hissing when she split her thumb.

"Gran?"

"I'm fine, kiddo." Izzy said looking at her grandson with the kind of smile only grandmothers knew how to give. She wrapped the bandage around the forceps and through the needle until the whole thing was sturdy. She looked up at Jack who knelt beside her awkwardly holding his chest. Izzy put the loop over one of the rusted nails. She tugged on it gently. Slowly it worked out of the wood. When it got far enough out, Jack bent and pulled it from the wood. He held it up grinning. He stowed it off to the side an idea on how to use it as a weapon occuring to him. It was slow work, but they kept at it.

Bozer and Riley switched off with them. Finally the board was loose enough Jack could get his fingers through. He grabbed it and with all his strength yanked back. Jack cried out in pain as he fell back board in hand. He gasped for a minute unable to take in air. Everything went fuzzy for a minute.

"C'mon, man." Jack blinked up at Bozer. He moaned and sat up again. Izzy stopped him with a hand on his chest.

"You stay put, I think you reopened some of your stitches, and we don't have any supplies."

"But-"

"Take a minute, Jack. We'll work on this." Riley said rubbing his cheek. Jack laid back.

"Alright fine, but I'm the first one through the gap, got it?" Jack met their eyes sternly. They nodded. Satisfied, Jack relaxed back and took deep breaths. He was going to need every scrap of energy he could muster.

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Mac fell forward and cracked his head on the stone step in front of him. He hissed and closed his eyes for a second. He was so far beyond tired and pain. He wanted to close his eyes and give up. If it had only been him, he might have, but it wasn't. Mac rolled to his side and leaned against the cliff face. He was in the shade now and the rock was cool. He took deep breaths.

"Don't look down." He muttered. Of course he did. He almost fell off the narrow staircase. His heart pounded and adrenaline, what little he had, gave him a tiny shred of energy. He leaned against the face wall and forced his aching legs to move.

The tunnel emptied out into a forest at the bottom of the cliff. Mac knew there was no way he could climb up the cliff so had started the long trek around the island to the side with an easier slope. Half way into the tem mile hike, he'd taken a tumble and ended up bashing into the bottom of what turned out to be a hand- hewn staircase. It was carved from the rough black stone. Mac had torn his good hand into shreds as he struggled up the uneven steps. It didn't help that they were only two feet wide.

Thinking of his family being tortured, because of him kept him going. He slipped and his chin hit the step in front of him. Mac clung to the stone to keep him from slipping back. He closed his eyes waiting for the chill and nausea to return to its background screaming. Later, he promised, he can collapse later. He didn't dare look up to see how much farther he had to go.

As he forced his broken body to move his mind wondered. He wondered who owned this island before the smugglers. The tunnels had been more smooth than natural waters would have caused, and the rocks were the kind that came with volcano activity over centuries. He thought about the shape of the island. The cliff could be the broken fragment of a volcano. He tried to think of anything useful this knowledge gave him. Mac swore as he cut open his palm.

Nothing useful occurred to him. He couldn't think. Panic bubbled. Mac leaned back and closed his eyes. He forced himself to breath. He imagined Jack there coaching him, helping him keep a grip. Mac swallowed back tears and kept going. He wasn't going to let Jack down. He'd already done that once when he'd given up in Pakistan. Mac reached up for the next stair and almost fell over when he touched grass and twigs. Tears ran down his face as he climbed forward. He was on the edge of the cliff. Mac slumped to the ground crying. He'd made it. He'd made it. Mac shook his head and took a breath.

Ok, time for phase two. Mac was on a path that had once been well-worn but was now overgrown. He rolled over onto his back biting his lip to keep from screaming. He looked up and couldn't tame the smile. It was dark enough he could see the endless heavens spread out above him so close he could almost touch it. If he wasn't so tired and desperate he would have taken time to lay and enjoy it. But he had a job to do and not much time to do it. He rolled onto his stomach, then his hands and knees. He tried to stand but fell down. Mac looked around him, nothing. Mac tried but couldn't pull himself to standing without help. He narrowed his eyes. He was in an unkempt field. On the other side was the back of the long bunk house. He didn't see any guards, but he did see a circle of fires lighting the buildings of the compound. Mac frowned. Why were they lighting so many fires? Mac moved to crawl forward and screamed in pain. He collapsed face first into the grass and bit his forearm to stop another one from escaping. A group of soldiers poured around the corners of the building. Mac froze and closed his eyes as waves of agony wracked his body. Mac opened his eyes and jolted awake. He didn't remember closing his eyes. He poked his head above the grasses. It was full dark. He heard a whine then explosion. Far away he heard an explosion. The Gerald Ford was starting its attack. Mac cried out as he pushed to his feet. His legs shook and spread under him threatening to fold. Mac closed his eyes. He thought of Jack screaming for him, and Riley, and Boze, and-Mac finally staggered to his feet. Everything was fuzzy. He was almost done. He knew that. He didn't care anymore.

He staggered doggedly forward. His world had become agony, step, agony, fall, agony, fight to his feet, agony, step, agony...Mac walked into the back of the barracks and fell on his ass surprised. He shook his head. He'd made it. He wasn't sure he really expected to. Mac rolled over and pushed to his feet. He leaned against the bare wood. He stepped along it and tripped over...Mac looked over from his slump. A rake. Mac nodded. That would help. He used the rake to pull himself to his feet. The top was broken off and the bottom was rusted, but it worked. Mac barely noticed the slivers of wood dig into his hand as he hobbled forward leaning heavily on his makeshift crutch. He made faster progress, but knew he was on borrowed time. He turned the corner and stopped taking in the compound. Holt was pissed. He strode back and forth yelling into a radio in Urdu. Something about finding him or else. Mac didn't know enough Urdu to know what the or else was, but he knew first hand the creativity Holt was capable of. Mac leaned back rubbing his neck. He couldn't stop the shaking.

After a long minute, he got on top of the blind panic. He staggered forward and tossed one of his bombs in the nearest fire. He guessed it would take about five minutes before it blew. He made it behind the medical barn and lobbed another bomb into a fire. He fell to his knees his ears banging painfully in time with the roar of the anti-aircraft guns. Mac pushed off the ground barely aware of the broken wood impaling his hand. The guns were behind a small grove of bushes. A group of soldiers, no Americans, worked the guns. A fire blazed behind them. Mac managed to get ten feet away before he slumped to the ground. He bit his arm to keep from screaming. After sucking in air for a long minute, he was able to move again. He lobbed to bomb, it missed, landing almost a foot from the fire. Mac closed his eyes damn. He didn't know if that was close enough or not. He bit his lip as he studied his environment but nothing broke through his fatigue or pain.

"MACGYVER!" Mac jumped and rolled onto his back at the loud bellow. His heart pounded, "I'M OFFERING YOU A DEAL YOU COME UP HERE AND FINISH WHAT WE STARTED OR I THE SAME THING TO YOUR FRIENDS." Holt stood on the edge of the cliff with a bull horn. Mac closed his eyes. His worst nightmare. Mac frowned. What we started? Holt was really taking this personally. Mac sighed. There was no choice. He hoped he could keep Holt busy long enough that the Gerald Ford crew could land and rescue his friends. Mac was realistic enough to know he didn't have anything left, he only needed to keep the man busy for long enough. Mac took one last long look at the spectacular sky above. It was a nice last thing to see. Mac gritted his teeth and struggled to his feet for one last time. He hobbled forward toward the circle.

It didn't take long for the soldiers to notice him. Mac let them grab him and pull him forward. The ripples of agony seemed far away. Mac smiled as the drew up to Holt. The bald man was so angry his skin was a dark rose color. He clutched the bull horn with white knuckled hands. Mac's breath whumped out of him as he was tossed to the ground. Mac reached over for the rake, but Holt stomped on his hand. Mac heard himself scream and heard the bones crunch under Holt's boots, but he didn't feel it. Mac laughed. He was dragged to his feet. Holt was shouting something at him. Mac's eyes followed the spit that flew from the man's mouth. Mac laughed harder. Holt was boiling over. He lashed out and Mac's body was pummelled again and again. He was dimly aware of hitting the ground and boots stomping him. He couldn't help but laugh in between the gurgles and screams. Holt rolled him over and grabbed him by the neck. He was confused. Mac laughed more. Didn't he see? Mac wasn't afraid anymore. Nothing the man did, touched Mac anymore. It was the funniest thing ever. Mac broke into a guffaw.

"WHY ARE YOU LAUGHING?" He screamed. He dropped Mac to the dirt. Mac blinked up. There were fifty Holt's swirling around him.

"This is about the car, isn't it?" Holt screamed and kicked Mac again and again. Mac laughed until everything went black.


	18. Chapter 18

There are some men born with a lot of violence inside them. Jack Dalton has always known he was such a man. If he wasn't, he'd never have risen through the ranks into the elite Delta Force to be who he was today. He knew that it was always there, just under the surface. A living thing pulsing with every heartbeat. When he was much younger, it came out as a brawler. He'd honed it over a lifetime of battle into a tool-a sharp and deadly tool. He knew how to focus his anger and pain and fear into a weapon, to use the coiled violence as a controlled deadly instrument whether he held a sniper's rifle or faced multiple opponents with nothing but a blood dripping knife. He'd never really cut lose, until now.

He dropped the guard's body and led the others around the building. Matty and the medical staff left to free what remained of Phoenix's people. A very pale Riley and Bozer crept by his side, both sporting weapons they'd picked up from the line of dead enemy Jack left behind them. Jack had just cleared the circle of fires when all hell broke loose. One after another, smokey muffled explosions popped off around the camp sending the enemy soldiers into chaos. Screams of Urdu and English shouts lifted as bodies sprinted in all direction seeking enemy invaders in their midst. Jack could dimly hear gunfire coming from the edge of camp, reinforcements if he had to guess. All of this was a background blur. His eyes fell on Mac's unmoving bloody body and the man standing over him. Everything else vanished. Jack raised his rifle and fired, but a running figure got between him and his target. It didn't matter Jack was running at Holt like an angry locomotive. He automatically killed anything living between him and his target.

Holt looked up and their eyes clicked. Holt took a step back and moved to raise his own gun. It was too late. Jack tackled him. Holt went down hard. Jack was all over him like a hungry lion. He slammed a four punch combo into the man's face. Holt bucked and pulled Jack off him. Jack went with the movement and rolled coming up to his feet. He twisted and kicked Holt in the head. Holt went down. Jack's lips pulled back into a fierce animal snarl. The man was never getting up again.

Jack thought of Mac scared and alone in his own filth. He thought of Mac screaming and the terror in his eyes. A month's rage and frustration looking for his lost kid, the fury of the pain and loss this man caused his family. It all boiled over. Jack gave an animal roar and gave into the violence. He pounded into the man's face until there was no face. He pounded over and over. Blood flew in a spray from his knuckles as he destroyed the hated thing under him. He didn't stop until he didn't have the strength to lift his arm again. He leaned back breathing hard. Jack looked down at the ruin of Holt and grinned through the bloody mask that clung to every inch of his body. He spit then turned. Riley and Bozer stared at him open mouth. Jack spit but was unable to get the bitter taste of blood out of his mouth. He pushed to his feet and fell back on his ass with a groan. As if it were held at bay, sound snapped back into the world. Phoenix TAC were rounding up the remaining bad guys as well as Navy guys from the Gerald Ford. Jack heaved in air. Matty was beside him trying to talk to him.

Jack pushed past her and twisted around to Mac. His gut dropped. Mac was little more than a blood smear and bruise. Medics of all kinds swarmed around him, but he looked dead.

"Is he dead?" Jack cried. He didn't understand why his body wouldn't heed his command to crawl to his partner. Hands tried to stop him. He shoved them aside, "IS HE DEAD?" Jack roared through his tears. Riley crouched beside him and put hands on either side of her face. Jack blinked up at her. He couldn't make out her words, "Is he dead?" Riley realized Jack wasn't hearing her. She shook her head. Jack sobbed and went limp.

"He's not dead?" Riley glanced over at Mac and shook her head. Jack closed his eyes. Riley fell into her own sobs and cuddled around him as she watched the medics frantically work to save her friend.

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Mac was having an odd dream. He was a cloud floating over his body. He watched as his carved up remains were laid out. He wondered if he were dead. He sure looked dead. Taking in the sheer number of wounds, he was kind of ok with it if he was. That was gonna hurt like a bitch if he wasn't. Izzy was opening a field surgery kit while Laura cut away his clothes. Doc Carl crouched at his head tilting it back and putting in a tube. His chest didn't raise or fall until they were ballooning him. That didn't bode well. Izzy was cutting open his chest. More medics spilled around him. Navy docs. Mac felt a little guilt for all the effort they were putting in trying to save him. If they knew he didn't hurt anymore would they stop?

Mac was glad he didn't have a body anymore as he saw them crack his chest open. How much blood did a human body have? Mac turned away, his nonexistent gut churning as he saw Izzy reach in and squeeze his heart. He turned away. One should never have to see their own heart. He stopped a cold dread coming over him when he saw a small knot of medics circling Jack. JACK! He silently screamed. He drifted closer. He was alive, but...Mac would have been sobbing with his brother if he'd still had a body. The look on Jack's face and all the blood. Mac lifted his gaze and took in the others. Matty crouched beside Riley holding her as she held a distraught Jack. Bozer helped hold Jack's feet so he didn't blindly attack those trying to help him. Mac drifted farther. He saw Sally refusing to be taken care of until Mac and Jack were cared for. He saw the pain all of those he loved suffered because of him. He screamed.

He wanted to go. He didn't want to go back, didn't they know how much it hurt? But it hurt worse to see their blood, their tears, hear their screams, see the dead. They had done all this to protect him. To save him. Mac drifted back to his body.

"Come on, Angus. We need you." Izzy said. It broke Mac too see the woman's eternal calm disturbed by tears running down her face mixing with the blood soaking her shirt. His blood. Mac mentally sighed. He was so tired of fighting couldn't they get that?

"Mac, fight, man, fight." Young Doctor Carl. How many times had Mac waken up to those bright eyes not much older than his own, and yet far older. He thought of the welcoming smile he'd seen so many times when he'd opened his eyes after the Doc pulled him through one crisis or another. I'm sorry, Doc, I'm done. Mac said relaxing.

"Mac, don't leave me." Mac froze. It was the only voice that could stop him, "we had a deal." Mac wanted to reach out and take Jack's hand. Sooth his pain, let him know he'd be ok without Mac. But Mac knew he wouldn't, anymore than if Jack had left him alone. Mac looked at his body. Would they even be able to save him? He could see hope dimming. He took one last look at Jack and those gathered around them.

One more time. He can fight one more time. For them.

Loud alarm.

 _He's back, let's move._

Movement. Pain. Blackness.

Sucking sound. Air. Chest moves.

 _When is he going to wake up?_

 _With what he's been through, it's a miracle he's lived this long._

Sucking sound. Air. Chest moves.

Movement. Pain. Blackness.

 _You know, brother, I get you wanting time off, but it's been three weeks. You can wake up anytime, right? Bozer's going nuts and Riley is feeling all guilty she left you alone. Sally is up and about finally. Maybe I shouldn't tell you that, I want you to wake up not run away. C'mon, bro-_

Pain. Movement. Swish. Swish. Sucking sound. Chest raises.

 _Mac, you have to wake up soon. Jack needs you, we all need you._

Sucking sound. Swish. Light. Chest raises.

 _That's it, brother, that's it._

Pain. Sucking sound. Movement. A hand on his forehead. Light.

 _See, he's still in there, aren't you, Mac._

Pain. Sucking sound. Pain. Light. Mac moaned.

 _C'mon, buddy. You can do it._

Light chiseling through the blackness. And the pain-well it fucking hurt. Mac's eyes fluttered. He turned his head away from the blurry confusion. A fist down his throat gagged him. He tried to breathe, he couldn't. Mac moved his hands. They were tied down! Mac's heart pounded he tried to open his eyes, to break free, to stop the pain-Mac tilted his head back and screamed. Firebrands of agony boiled his body. His chest bounced with sobs. A deafening roar blared around him. He couldn't breathe! It hurt! Mac tried screaming again, but he couldn't breathe-

"-Mac, it's ok, it's ok." A calloused palm on his forehead. Through the peculiar stink of cotton all hospitals had came the smell of gun oil, leather and aftershave that was uniquely Jack. Mac opened his eyes and groaned at the bright pain that assaulted him through the cracks of his eyelids. He tried to heave in air. Again with the siren. Movement around him.

JACK! He tried to scream. Shadows buzzed around him. They moved his body. He felt a familiar rush in his arm then the broken bits of the world were gently swept away.

Mac moaned and turned his head. He swallowed and winced.

"You gonna wake up for me, kiddo?" The familiar voice was so comforting, so close how could he not? Mac slowly opened his eyes wincing at the blur he found himself in. A familiar callused hand brushed hair back from his forehead. Mac sighed and and blinked. He turned toward the touch.

Jack. He breathed. He wasn't sure if Jack could hear him or not, but it was all he had. Mac kept blinking until the world slowly seeped into shadows then outlines then fuzzy things. Then Jack. Mac mouthed the man's name again. Jack leaned in. The brothers studied each other for a long long time. Jack ran his hands through Mac's hair. Mac managed a tiny filament of a smile.

"Jack." This time he'd managed to add in a little volume.

"Hey, brother." Jack sniffed and absently wiped tears from his face. He looked like he wanted to say more, but couldn't. Mac was ok with gazing at his friend and feeling his gentle familiar touch. He smiled content his eyes drooping. A thought occurred to him. He frowned meeting Jack's gaze.

"Hair." Jack blinked surprised.

"What?"

"I...have...hair?" Jack laughed.

"Yeah, you do. You've been out for quite awhile. You're back though. You didn't leave me." Mac offered a tired smile. Ok, that was ok, everything was ok. He closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

It took another week before Mac could stay awake for longer than a few minutes. It took four more before he was sitting up and eating. Three more after that and he was ready to go the hell home. Another six before he actually got there.

Mac laid back in the comfort of the couch prepared by one of his multiple mother hens. It was a marshmellow of love he sank into. Smells of his favorite foods circled around him made his mouth water. He looked up as his family came into the living room greeted him then went into the family room and sprawled. Mac managed a smile with each greeting, but they cut. They all had healing battle wounds. Because of him. And there were some that would never go home, because of him.

Sally leaned over him pulling up his covers for the hundredth time. Mac rolled his eyes but for once didn't complain. She had insisted on nursing him back to health even as her own painful injuries healed. Mac still had trouble meeting her gaze. He hadn't complained about the mothering. He hadn't complained of anything. That wasn't unusual for the Phoenix Agent, but they could all see him pulling away, curling up inside. None of them knew when, but they all knew a crash was coming.

Sally eyed him her elfin features troubled. She sat on the coffee table and studied him. Mac was ghastly pale and pasty. Pain tightened the corners of his mouth and eyes, but it was his eyes that held the depths of what he was truly feeling. She suspected it had nothing to do with the agony he felt as his body healed.

"What's wrong?" She asked tilting her head. Mac licked his lips and managed an unconvincing smile.

"I'm fine, thanks." Sally laughed and leaned back adjusting the strap to her arm sling. Whenever she wanted to complain she took in Mac's shoulder held together by a porcupine of nails and screws bristling from a new cast. For the second time since she'd known him, he'd had to have that same shoulder completely rebuilt. She couldn't imaging how much pain he was in. His chest sported a new scar where Izzy had had to massage his heart in the field to keep him going. At least he'd been out for the other bones and bruising to heal, mostly. At least he wasn't on a vent anymore. Sally shuddered at the memory of Mac so tiny and pale in the middle of the bed attached to every tube, monitor and wire medicine had ever heard of. Sally turned away and wiped her eyes even though she'd run out of tears months ago.

"You 'k?" Mac asked. She sniffed and looked at him. She took his good hand in her good hand.

"Never do this again." She said. Mac smiled, some of his mischievousness returning to his eyes.

"What? Let you baby me for a year and a half?" Sally narrowed her eyes.

"It hasn't been quite that long."

"Felt like a century." Mac groused. Sally rolled her eyes.

"Don't worry, we're just getting started." Mac frowned at her. Sally smiled sweetly, "I'm the only one with the time to help you like you need, so I'm going to be camped out here for the next few weeks." Mac's smile fell.

"Are you kidding me? Who's going to take care of you?"

"Worried about me Angus? That's sweet." Mac shot her a sour grimace but didn't say anything. He turned his gaze away instead of snarking something back. Sally frowned.

"What's wrong?" She asked seriously. Mac swallowed and shook his head.

"I'm just tired." He said. She nodded. He was tired, but it was more than physical. Sally sighed. No matter what Angus said to her or about her, she knew they had a special connection. Nothing like he had with Jack, of course, much more hostile, for one thing. She was one of the few people he felt safe enough with to lash out at. Mac was such a selfless being, it surprised everyone how much he seemed to hate her. Sally knew better. It was a high mark of trust that he could be his ugliest self with her, and he knew she would never abandon him. Even if he wished she would most of the time. It was a complicated love/hate, hate/tolerate kind of thing no one understood but the pair of them.

She reached out and ran her fingers through his silken hair. Mac closed his eyes. A little surprised he let her, Sally kept up the comforting gesture until Mac relaxed into a puddle. She sat staring down at him troubled.

"Everything ok?" Jack said. Sally looked up and took the beer he extended toward her. He held out a hand and helped her stand and steadied her as she left Mac's side. Jack wrapped his arm around Sally and led her out to the deck. Sally shook her head.

"Something's not right, Jack." Jack leaned over the edge of the deck and sipped his beer. He sighed.

"I know. He's all twisted up inside. He thinks this is all his fault." Jack rubbed his hand over his eyes and fought a yawn. He felt Sally study him.

"What?"

"Are you ok, Jack?" Jack stared at the LA skyline and shook his head.

"Too many funerals, Sally. Too damn many." Sally nodded knowing he didn't just mean those they'd lost this battle. Sally sipped her beer and tilted her head onto his shoulder.

"And there was almost another one." Jack glanced in at the pile of pillows and blankets that Mac's hair popped out from.

"It was bought and paid for."

"I know. No one should have come back from what he went through." Jack nodded.

"I'm just worried about the day he doesn't." A heavy silence fell between them.

"There you two are! What's going on, what are we plotting?" Bozer asked coming out to the deck carrying a plate piled high with marinated states.

"Plotting, us?" Sally said sweetly. Bozer narrowed his eyes.

"It doesn't involve me, does it? He may be out right now, but my boy can get very creative with his payback."

"No, Boze. We're just taking a break. That smells great." Bozer broke into a wide smile.

"Doc Carl has been wanting Mac to get more protein so I thought I'll do up some steak for us and chop up some to put in his baked Mac 'n Cheese." Jack licked his lips and his stomach growled. Sally and Bozer laughed.

"That's what I like to hear!" Bozer said as he turned to the monstrocity Mac called a grill.

"What are the others up to?"

"They're teaching Sam to play Canasta." Sally rolled her eyes.

"Don't they know better? They're feeding her gambling addiction."  
"You gamble in Cannasta?" Jack asked. He didn't remember seeing that as an option in Los Vegas. Sally shook her head.

"If Sam is playing, you know she's fleecing someone out of cash. I better go save them. She'll eat Carl alive." Jack chuckled, "You coming in?"

"No, I'm going to enjoy the day." Sally paused and put a hand on his shoulder. She opened her mouth then shut it. What was there to say, really? She nodded and smiled following Bozer into the house.

Jack sighed and leaned against the railing. He felt the breeze and closed his eyes breathing in the smell of the neighbor's lilacs and the familiar smell of Bozer's steaks. The trees swished like tide at a relaxing beach. Jack turned to face the setting sun soaking in the world with his whole body cleansing away the months of living at the hospital.

"Hey." Jack spun and stared at Mac. Worry warred with anger as the pale kid wobbled in his direction.

"God dammit, Mac. What the hell do you think you're doing?" Jack was at his side in seconds. Mac felt so fragile as he half carried him to the nearest deck chair. Mac leaned back out of breath. Jack pulled his feet up and ran inside to get a blanket and pillow. Mac was silent as Jack bundled him up again all the time ranting about blond geniuses who were too stubborn for their own good.

Mac reached out and put a hand on Jack's arm stopping him mid-rant. Jack stopped taking in the moist pain in those blue eyes. He pulled the table closer holding out his hand so their contact wasn't broken.

"Hey-" Jack trailed off when Mac reached for him. Jack wrapped Mac up in a firm hug even as his worry spiked. Mac trembled in his arms. Jack frowned. Mac pulled in tighter and fisted the back of Jack's shirt breaking into tears.

"Hey, hey...it's ok." He said softly as he rubbed Mac's back wincing at the brace the kid still wore. He kept repeating himself until the quiet crying slowed to rhythmic hiccups. Jack looked up as Bozer tiptoed to them holding out a towel. Jack took it and nodded. Bozer took the steaks off the grill and returned to the house pulling the glass doors closed behind him. They all had seen this coming. Jack leaned back. Mac sniffed but made no effort to move. His gaze was distant. Jack frowned and gently shook Mac.

"Hey, brother?" Mac's eyes flitted up to his face then closed. Jack sighed and moved Mac around until he was leaning against Jack who sat beside him. Mac layed there listless, silent tears running down his face. Jack pulled Mac in closer and gently washed the blonde's face.

Mac always thought no one noticed he was hurting if he was quiet. The dummy didn't realize his withdrawal was like a scream of agony in any one else. Did the kid seriously think his family didn't see the pain in those baby blues? Jack sighed and closed his eyes mustering every wise thing he'd ever learned from his own father and silently asking for a gazillion more. He decided to jump in with both boots.

"This isn't your fault, none of this is your fault." Mac's eyes flashed up in surprise. Jack cocked his head to the side and offered a gentle smile, "What? You think we haven't noticed how skittish you are around us? We...I am so happy your alive, brother. You are worth all of this and so much more." Jack shifted until his arm was wrapped around Mac's trembling shoulders. Mac sniffed and took the towel wiping his own face.

"I…" Mac stopped and closed his eyes and shaking his head. Jack frowned. He knew Mac was having trouble using his words. Jack gently rubbed the kid's back and snugged him in closer.

"I thought I'd lost you forever, you know that? You were laying there

all busted up...even I started to give up, you know that? I thought you were going to leave me...and...bud, I gotta tell you I'm not sure I could keep going if that had happened-"

"Don't say that."

"It's true. When you were taken...if it's anybody's fault it's my fault kiddo." Mac looked up a hurt look on his face. He pulled away his eyes more silver than blue in the sunset's light. Jack turned away from the hurt in them.

"Jack, no-" Mac's voice dried up and he hunched into a limp question mark his head in his hands, "Please-" Jack sniffed and wiped his own face.

"Sorry, kiddo." They sat in silence for a long time. Jack heard Bozer slip out, take the meat off the grill then slip back into the house without making a sound. Mac was lost in thought. Jack frowned.

"Mac, talk to me." Mac took a deep breath and straightened wincing at his bad shoulder. He felt along the screws and plaster.

"Pain meds almost due?" Jack asked moving to go get them. Mac stopped him with a hand on his leg.

"They're fine." Jack knew they weren't, but waited.

"Do you believe in life after death?" Mac's voice was soft, flat. Jack's eyebrows rose. Whatever he may have expected, this wasn't it.

"Well, yeah, I talk to my Dad all the time. You know that." Mac looked up to Jack, his eyes deep with confusion.

"No, I'm serious."

"So am I, what's going on Mac?" Mac rubbed his face. Jack knew he was about to say nevermind. Not this time. Jack ducked until he met Mac's gaze. He gently put a hand on Mac's good shoulder.

"No, tell me. I know you've been working at something' in that brain of yours." Mac looked away and picked at the edge of his cast.

"I saw you." He whispered. Jack frowned.

"Ok?" Mac looked up staring a mile away.

"I saw all of it, the fight, Izzy squeezing my heart, you-" Mac swallowed and turned to Jack tears brimming, "I saw you...hurt...I was ready to go." Mac turned away. Jack felt a cold sweat prickle his skin as it sunk in what Mac was saying. He stayed silent mostly because he had no idea what to say.

"I wasn't afraid anymore. Nothing hurt...except seeing all of you hurt. I was going to go anyway. I knew you would all be fine without me...but…" Mac wiped his face and cleared his throat.

"I heard you. I couldn't leave you. I…" Mac ran the towel through his fingers, "I owe you, all of you. All this pain...it was because of me. I couldn't…" Mac met Jack's eyes, "I just couldn't." He finished. Jack sniffed realizing his own face was covered with tears. He still had no idea what to say, but he knew what to do. Jack gently pulled Mac to him and wrapped around him. Mac's arms came up and the two men just held each other, comforting each other in a way words never could.

Mac pulled back with a chuckle. Jack laughed with him. There wasn't anything to laugh about, other than the face they both were alive, and together, and about to have one of Bozer's gut busting meals.

"We should go eat, Bozer's been baking all week." Mac said swiping his face with the towel. He handed it to Jack.

"Yeah, we had our chick flick moment." Both laughed harder. Jack reached out and squeezed Mac's good shoulder.

"I will say this, brother, guilt or not I'm glad you came back to us. We all of us would be lost without you. The world needs you, Angus, and is a whole lot better with you in it." Mac looked away, but his face flushed with pleasure. He held out a fist. Mac bumped his knuckles then looked at Jack seriously.

"Are we ok?" Jack huffed and rolled his eyes.

"What do you think?" He asked as he again snuck in a hug. Mac complained and pushed the older man away with pretend anger.

"Your such a girl." He grumbled. Jack laughed.

"I'm not the one with long hair." Mac reached up. His hair wasn't quite as long as it had been, but it was better than the scruff he'd had.

"How do you keep your head warm under all that baldness?" Mac snickered.

"Hey, now, don't diss the hair."

"You don't have any!"

"Yeah, whatever." Jack helped Mac to his feet and supported him as they went inside to join their family. Both men couldn't stop grinning.

*****And there we are. I truly think this story wrote itself. It ended up going in a direction I didn't plan. Sometimes you just shut up and let the characters do their thing. :) I've gotten several requests for tags for the last episode, like I have for the past two seasons I'll do tags for the entire season during the summer with Bits and Bobs season 3. I have a vague idea for a possible story, but am kind of at a loss. What I'm saying is I'm taking requests. I can't guarantee I'll write them all, but I need to write something. Any ideas? Thank you so much for reading and leaving comments-the more you leave, the faster I write. I'm sorry I didn't answer you individually, this story took over the few brain cells I had left. :) Thank you so much for your input. You guys are the best-Pox


End file.
